Iran Officially Denies Reports of Ghalibaf's Resignation as Head of Negotiation Team

On April 24 (local time), Iran's ICANA News Agency reported that the claims about Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and head of Iran's negotiation team with the United States, resigning are not true.

Aman Shamsaei, Director of the Center for Foreign Relations, Media, and Cultural Affairs at the Iranian Parliament, told the parliament-operated ICANA News Agency, "The reports that Speaker Ghalibaf resigned as head of the Iranian negotiation team are fake news."

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament. Reuters Yonhap News

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He added, "Such rumors are only intended to disrupt public opinion within Iran," and emphasized, "Speaker Ghalibaf is sincerely continuing in his role."

Previously, Israel's Channel 12 reported on April 23 that Speaker Ghalibaf had resigned as head of the negotiation team due to interference from hardliners within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who oppose negotiations with the United States.

These rumors of resignation are spreading through social networking service (SNS) accounts, which are suspected to be linked to Israeli intelligence agencies, and are seen as evidence of a rift within Iran's leadership between pro-negotiation factions and hardline military groups.

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