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Iran hardliner behind US deal warns Tehran won’t honor agreement if Trump fails to deliver
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Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would not honor its commitments under a newly signed memorandum with the U.S. if Washington fails to uphold its side of the deal, according to the media arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
«If the United States does not honor its commitments, there is no way Iran will honor its own commitments,» Ghalibaf said, according to the outlet.
Ghalibaf’s warning was echoed Thursday by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani, who threatened the U.S. in remarks translated by MEMRI TV, saying, «Americans should know their place and avoid confronting the Muslims.»
Qaani added that «Trump is trembling» and warned that the U.S. «should fear not only Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb, but many other locations as well.»
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The warnings came after President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Wednesday digitally signed a copy of the memorandum aimed at ending the war and resuming the flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s hardline parliament speaker and key negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would not honor its commitments under a newly signed memorandum with the U.S. if Washington fails to uphold its side of the deal. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA)
The memorandum gives Iran major economic relief while leaving some of the most difficult nuclear questions for a final agreement to be negotiated throughout the next 60 days. Under the 14-point plan read by a senior U.S. official, Washington agreed to begin lifting its naval blockade, work with regional partners on a $300 billion reconstruction and development plan for Iran, and terminate U.S., U.N. and other sanctions on an agreed schedule as part of a final deal.
The memorandum also says all licenses, waivers and permissions needed for related financial transactions would be granted by the United States.
In return, Iran reaffirmed that it «shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons,» and the two sides agreed to resolve the fate of Iran’s stockpiled enriched material under a future mechanism, with the minimum method being on-site down-blending under International Atomic Energy Agency supervision.
The agreement defers many of the hardest questions — including how to wind down Iran’s nuclear program — until the 60-day negotiation period for a final deal.
But the Iranian figure at the center of the deal is not a diplomat known for moderation.
Ghalibaf, a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and longtime regime insider, has threatened American forces, vowed Trump would «pay the price» and built his career through loyalty to Iran’s security establishment.
The new warning underscored what experts say is the central risk of the agreement: Washington may be entering a deal with officials who can enforce Iran’s commitments, but who have shown little sign of changing the regime’s long-term posture toward the U.S., Israel or the region.
Ghalibaf, 64, is a product of Iran’s security establishment. He rose through the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War, eventually becoming commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air force.
He later served as Iran’s national police chief, overseeing internal security forces responsible for suppressing protests, including the 1999 student uprising, alongside Qassem Soleimani.
After transitioning into politics, Ghalibaf attempted to run for president multiple times but failed. He instead built his career through loyalty to the system, serving as Tehran’s mayor for more than a decade before becoming speaker of parliament in 2020.
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf looks on as parliament members wearing military uniforms chant in support of the IRGC in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 1, 2026. (Hamed Malekpour/Islamic consultative assembly news agency/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters)
«Ghalibaf doesn’t have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,’» Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies, previously told Fox News Digital. «If he is told to shake hands with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he will do it. If he is told to escalate, he will. It is not about moderation, it is about who gives the orders.»
«His name has also been linked to multiple corruption allegations, including misuse of oil revenues and sanctions evasion networks involving his family. His sons have reportedly been involved and are under sanctions,» Sabti said, adding, «There have also been public scandals involving family members traveling abroad and making luxury purchases, including widely circulated images of them arriving with numerous high-end Gucci suitcases.»
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the image of Ghalibaf at a signing ceremony with a senior U.S. official would be a propaganda victory for the regime.
«There was a time when the Islamic Republic would have been terrified to be seen signing such a thing,» Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. «Post-war, this is a sign of the regime’s opportunism, and no one identifies that opportunism better than someone like Ghalibaf, who comes from the IRGC, who is a corrupt politician and is a wheeler and dealer.»
But Taleblu warned that Washington should not confuse Ghalibaf’s opportunism with moderation.
«The mirage is the myth of Iranian military moderation and the myth that, with time, this regime will integrate and put aside all the things that have kept it on the sidelines for so long,» he said. «Transforming Iran via a deal — that is a huge lift.»
Ghalibaf’s wartime statements reflect the hardline posture inside Iran’s leadership. In remarks aired on Iranian television on Jan. 12 and translated by MEMRI, he warned that U.S. forces would face catastrophic consequences if they confronted Iran.
«Come, so you can see what catastrophe befalls American bases, ships and forces,» he said, adding that American troops would be «burned by the fire of Iran’s defenders.»
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A man lights a cigarette with fire from a burning picture of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as Israelis rally in support of nationwide protests in Iran in Holon, Israel, on Jan. 14, 2026. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
More recently, he warned that «the blood of American soldiers is the personal responsibility of Trump,» and vowed Iran would «settle accounts with the Americans and Israelis,» adding that «Trump and Netanyahu crossed our red lines and will pay the price.»
John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and a former national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, said Ghalibaf’s expected role reflects the reality of who holds power inside Iran.
«If you’re going to sign an agreement with Iran, those are the forces in charge and calling the shots, presumably with the approval of the new Supreme Leader,» Hannah told Fox News Digital. «If the U.S. harbors hope that Iran will ever implement any of their obligations under the MOU, these are the people — odious as they are — capable of making it happen.»
But Hannah said the central question is whether Iran’s leadership sees compliance as useful, or whether the agreement is simply a tactical pause.
«The big question is whether they see it in their interest to do so, or are they only buying time, rebuilding their power and preparing for the next round of conflict,» he said.
Ben Taleblu was even more blunt, warning that even a seemingly favorable agreement would not change the nature of the regime.
«Even if you’ve got the perfect deal, with this kind of regime, with this kind of mentality, they will escalate,» he said. «I thought we would have learned by now what the regime did after the JCPOA. It built a vast missile arsenal. It literally built an empire of terror proxies that took Israel years of blood, effort and money to dismantle, backed by American support.»
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 27, 2024. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
«If we engage in pay-to-play with these guys,» he added, «I’m sorry to sound the alarm bell like this — but something tells me this is bad either way.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
war with iran, iran, sanctions, benjamin netanyahu, treaties
INTERNACIONAL
Interna en el régimen iraní: el líder supremo se oponía al acuerdo con Estados Unidos impulsado por el presidente Pezeshkian
La firma del acuerdo entre Irán y Estados Unidos para poner fin a la guerra en Medio Oriente dejó al descubierto diferencias en la cúpula del régimen iraní. El líder supremo, Mojtaba Khamenei, reconoció este jueves que no compartía la estrategia que condujo al entendimiento con Washington y que terminó autorizándolo únicamente después de recibir garantías del presidente Masud Pezeshkian y del Consejo Supremo de Seguridad Nacional.
La declaración representa una inusual admisión pública de desacuerdo dentro de las estructuras de mando de la República Islámica en un momento clave, apenas un día después de que los presidentes Donald Trump y Pezeshkian formalizaran el memorando que abrió una etapa de negociaciones para cerrar definitivamente el conflicto.
En un mensaje dirigido a la población iraní, Khamenei explicó que inicialmente no respaldaba el acuerdo alcanzado con Estados Unidos.
“Yo, por principio, tenía una opinión diferente”, afirmó. Sin embargo, sostuvo que decidió dar luz verde al proceso después de que el mandatario iraní y los máximos responsables de seguridad asumieran compromisos concretos para proteger los intereses nacionales.
Según relató, Pezeshkian le garantizó personalmente que Irán no aceptaría condiciones que considerara perjudiciales durante las conversaciones con Washington.
“Si la parte estadounidense intentaba plantear exigencias excesivas, no se sometería”, indicó el líder supremo al describir las garantías que recibió antes de otorgar su consentimiento.
Lejos de presentar el acuerdo como un acercamiento político a Washington, Khamenei buscó marcar distancia y transmitir que el régimen seguirá considerando a Estados Unidos como un adversario estratégico.
“Las negociaciones presenciales futuras no implicarán la aceptación de la postura del enemigo”, afirmó.
Khamenei también aprovechó el mensaje para cuestionar directamente a Donald Trump. Según su versión, fue la Casa Blanca la que presionó para concretar el entendimiento después de meses de enfrentamientos.
“Fue el presidente estadounidense quien, en un acto de desesperación, utilizó toda clase de presión para lograrlo”, sostuvo.
Las declaraciones muestran un intento de equilibrar dos mensajes distintos dentro de Irán. Por un lado, respaldar una decisión adoptada por el gobierno y los organismos de seguridad. Por otro, evitar que el acuerdo sea interpretado por los sectores más duros del régimen como una concesión política ante Washington.
La intervención de Khamenei también tuvo relevancia porque se trata de su primera reacción pública sobre el pacto desde que asumió el cargo en marzo, tras la muerte de su padre, el ayatollah Ali Khamenei, durante los ataques estadounidenses e israelíes del 28 de febrero que desencadenaron la guerra regional.
Desde entonces, el nuevo líder supremo no ha realizado apariciones públicas y se ha limitado a difundir mensajes a través de los canales oficiales del Estado.
El memorando firmado por Estados Unidos e Irán establece el cese permanente de las operaciones militares, contempla compromisos relacionados con la situación en el Líbano y prevé la reapertura del estrecho de Ormuz para el tránsito marítimo internacional.
El documento también abrió un período de 60 días destinado a negociar un acuerdo definitivo sobre el programa nuclear iraní y el levantamiento de sanciones económicas.
Esas futuras conversaciones constituyen uno de los puntos más sensibles para Teherán. Aunque el memorando contempla negociaciones sobre cuestiones nucleares, Khamenei dejó claro que no considera que el proceso implique una modificación de la postura estratégica de la República Islámica frente a Estados Unidos.
La firma del acuerdo puso fin a la guerra, pero también dejó expuestas las tensiones entre quienes consideran necesario avanzar en una negociación con Washington y quienes continúan viendo ese camino con desconfianza.
(Con información de Reuters, AFP, EFE y Europa Press)
Middle East
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Dems raked in millions from employees at firms newly identified as ‘Chinese military companies’
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Democrats, among them some of the most recognizable names in politics, have accepted millions of dollars in campaign contributions from top employees at firms the Pentagon recently designated as «Chinese military companies» operating in the U.S.
The Department of War on June 8 designated Alibaba, Baidu and BYD as «Chinese military companies,» meaning that the three firms, in the eyes of the U.S. government, are providing assistance to the People’s Liberation Army through its military-civil fusion strategy or other means. Senior employees at these companies, including executives, have donated roughly $2.6 million to Democratic political committees since 2020, a Fox News Digital review of campaign finance filings has found.
Notable individuals and organizations that received contributions from top staffers at these firms include Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, former President Joe Biden, Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic National Committee.
Donors to Democratic committees from the trio of firms include executives, top-level lawyers, lobbyists and, to a much lesser extent, rank-and-file employees working in areas such as engineering or management. The staffers made some contributions to Republicans as well, though the overall sum was far lower than what Democrats received.
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Rep. Nancy Pelosi speaks to members of the media after a classified briefing on TikTok at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 12, 2024. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The review included direct contributions, earmarked contributions and donations to joint-fundraising committees reported in campaign finance filings. It did not identify corporate donations from Alibaba, Baidu or BYD to the federal committees.
«American politicians should no longer accept campaign cash from any Chinese companies. Politicians who have been taking campaign cash from companies like Baidu, Alibaba and BYD now realize they were supported by blacklisted Chinese Military Companies,» Michael Lucci, CEO of the national security organization State Armor, told Fox News Digital. «The reason the Pentagon’s list of sanctioned CCP companies keeps expanding is because the Chinese Communist Party imposes a ‘civil-military fusion’ mandate upon all Chinese companies, forcing them to assist in modernizing China’s military with the goal of defeating America.»
«They all end up working to support the PLA. They should all be cut off from U.S. politics,» he added.
The Pentagon’s Chinese military company designation via its 1260H list does not function as a traditional sanction, as Americans can continue to do business with the company.
Biden-linked committees and joint fundraising vehicles were by far the biggest beneficiaries of the funds, taking in roughly $850,000 from employees at the trio of firms between 2020 and 2024. The DNC, meanwhile, had a haul of around $500,000 while Harris-linked committees brought in roughly $140,000.
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Former first lady Dr. Jill Biden gave an update on former President Joe Biden’s cancer on Saturday, saying that the 83-year-old will live with cancer for the rest of his life, he maintains a busy schedule but has slowed down. (Grant Baldwin/Getty Images)
Various state Democratic parties also received five-figure support from employees at Baidu, BYD and Alibaba. Newsom, per state campaign finance records, accepted $50,000 from an executive at BYD, an electric-vehicle manufacturer that his administration later awarded a contract.
Fox News Digital reached the offices of Biden, Harris, Schiff, Pelosi, Newsom and the DNC on Sunday for comment and has not heard back as of publishing.
Pentagon officials are legally required to release a list of what it determines to be Chinese military companies every year. The first such list was released in June 2021 under President Joe Biden.
The Pentagon’s 1260H list identifies Chinese companies the Defense Department says are «Chinese military companies» operating directly or indirectly in the United States. Required by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, the list is intended to warn U.S. businesses and investors about firms tied to China’s military-civil fusion strategy, though inclusion does not automatically trigger sanctions.
New defense laws, however, have given the list more bite in recent years.
The Pentagon will be barred from directly contracting with companies on the list starting June 30 and is currently banned from contracting with companies who lobby on behalf 1260H-listed firms. In 2027, the ban will be expanded to prevent indirect procurement of goods manufactured by Chinese military companies through supply chain intermediaries.
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Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during her «107 Days» book tour at the Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in downtown Miami. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
While Alibaba, Baidu and BYD only recently earned formal designations as Chinese military companies, their links to the CCP have been widely reported for years.
The Wall Street Journal, for instance, reported in 2017 that Alibaba was assisting the Chinese government in its surveillance efforts against dissidents, and Chinese state media reported in 2018 that the firm had a large CCP presence within it. Some sources within the company told Reuters in 2019 that the firm had developed an app designed specifically to increase ideological alignment with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Alibaba, however, has come out strongly against its inclusion on the Pentagon’s list of Chinese military companies.
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President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping represent the world’s two most powerful economies. (Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images)
«There’s no basis to conclude that Alibaba should be placed on the Section 1260H List,» a company spokeswoman told Fox News Digital. «Alibaba is not a Chinese military company nor part of any military-civil fusion strategy. We will take all available legal action against attempts to misrepresent our company.»
That statement also appears in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing made by Alibaba shortly after it was added to the Pentagon’s list.
«Inclusion in the CMC List will not affect the Group’s ability to conduct business as usual in the United States or anywhere in the world because the Group does not do business related to U.S. military procurement,» the SEC filing adds. «The CMC List does not impose any other export controls or sanctions, nor does it prohibit any persons (other than the U.S. Department of Defense) from business dealings with the Group or transacting in the securities of the Company.»
A person walks past a sign at Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. headquarters in Hangzhou, China, on May 8, 2021. Alibaba is scheduled to report fourth-quarter results on May 13. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)
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As early as 2015, outlets like Bloomberg News were reporting that the Chinese government was heavily subsidizing BYD. Wang Chuanfu, the founder and CEO of the firm, is a member of the Chinese Communist Party and an ally of Xi.
BYD did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
In Baidu’s case, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology named the company as part of the country’s «national team» for AI development in 2017, with it later appointed by the CCP’s National Development and Reform Commission to lead China’s first national lab on deep learning technologies, according to state media. The firm, which primarily operates a search engine, reportedly assists the Chinese government in carrying out censorship.
«We categorically reject the inclusion of Baidu on the list, and there is no credible justification for adding Baidu to the list,» a Baidu spokesperson told Fox News Digital «The suggestion that Baidu is a military company is entirely baseless. We will not hesitate to use all options available to us to have the company removed from the list.»
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The Pentagon has defended its additions to the list.
«After the Department conducted its due diligence, it identified 188 entities that meet the statutory requirement for inclusion on the most recent 1260H List,» a Department of War spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
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