President Donald Trump’s announcement on March 23, 2026, that his administration is in talks with senior figures in the Islamic Republic came as a surprise, helping to push oil prices lower and lift global markets. The reaction in Tehran was swift. After initial denials from power centers, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a strongly-worded rejection early on March 24.
The Revolutionary Guard’s main media outlet, Tasnim, dismissed the report as a tactic by the U.S. president—“a weapon intended to sow doubt among political and social forces active in defending Iran, diverting them from focusing on the adversary and pulling them into another arena of conflict.”
[Trump said] the two sides reached what he described as “major points of agreement,” suggesting a deal to end the conflict could be within reach.
Trump said the United States had engaged in talks with Iran and that the two sides reached what he described as “major points of agreement,” suggesting a deal to end the conflict could be within reach. He indicated that discussions had taken place over the weekend and were continuing, led by envoys such as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He also described the contacts as “very good and productive,” and, on that basis, announced a five-day postponement of planned U.S. strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure to allow diplomacy to proceed.
The name of parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf surfaced almost immediately. Politico reported that some in the White House view him as a potential interlocutor—and even a possible future leader. Ghalibaf quickly denied any contact with Washington, likely to deflect suspicion among rivals or to reinforce a unified line from within the system. He carries a tarnished reputation, widely seen as one of the most corrupt figures within the establishment, with little support beyond a narrow circle of insiders. His repeated presidential bids have failed, and he has retained his current post largely due to backing from his relative, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Not only Ghalibaf but a broad range of officials and media outlets portrayed Trump’s announcement as a retreat. They argued that U.S. caution reflected Iran’s ability to threaten energy infrastructure across the region. “Donald Trump … has run up against the hard wall of reality and the seriousness of Iran’s threats,” Tasnim said. “He has now retreated from the battlefield to social media, seeking to compensate for military setbacks with psychological messaging. Iran, however, remains vigilant on the battleground.”
The statement went further, suggesting that a March 22 appeal by exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, urging Trump not to strike Iran’s power grid, signaled an impending U.S. retreat.
On March 24, Ali Nikzad, deputy speaker of parliament, reinforced the hard line: “We will neither restore the Strait of Hormuz to its previous state nor negotiate with someone who is a liar and shows no sign of honor, humanity, or conscience,” he said, adding that past negotiations demonstrated this.
Iran’s ability to affect global energy flows through Hormuz remains its most potent source of pressure.
The remarks underscore how central the Strait of Hormuz has become to Tehran’s strategy. Iran appears to view control—or disruption—of the waterway as its most effective lever against the United States and its allies. While missile attacks on neighboring countries continue intermittently, Iran’s ability to affect global energy flows through Hormuz remains its most potent source of pressure. Nikzad’s comments suggest a broader ambition: to assert lasting dominance over the strait and wield it as a continuing instrument of leverage.
Some observers interpret Trump’s references to negotiations as an effort to buy time while U.S. forces complete their deployment and prepare to secure freedom of navigation. Washington has been reinforcing its posture in the region with a mix of rapid-reaction forces drawn from multiple branches. Alongside the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard USS Boxer and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard USS Tripoli, the buildup includes Army and Air Force rapid-deployment elements such as the Immediate Response Force built around the 82nd Airborne Division, as well as forward-deployed fighter aircraft including F-15E Strike Eagles. Together, these assets form a flexible crisis-response network capable of amphibious operations, rapid air assault, and swift reinforcement across the region.
Although Trump’s claims and optimistic tone invite skepticism, multiple regional sources have hinted at possible diplomatic contacts, potentially involving intermediaries such as Turkey and Pakistan. His new five-day deadline will expire around March 27 or 28, depending on how one counts. Absent clear evidence of negotiations by then, the military dimension is likely to take precedence.
