Iran Speaker claims absolute victory over US, Israel: They failed all war goals

Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has claimed that Tehran emerged victorious over both the United States and Israel, claiming that the two countries failed to achieve any of the nine objectives they had set at the start of the war with Iran.Ghalibaf, on Sunday, said Iran had prevailed in both the military and political dimensions of the conflict."I say with my whole heart that in this war, both in its military dimension and in its political dimension, we were victorious in the true sense of the word," the speaker said.The remarks, reported by Iranian media, represent one of Tehran’s strongest claims of victory as Iran and the US remain locked in a fragile and unresolved confrontation despite repeated rounds of talks. The claim also comes as the 60-day US-Iran ceasefire is coming to an end today and Donald Trump warning that Washington will impose unprecedented economic restrictions on Iran. Ghalibaf, however, sought to clarify that his claim of victory did not mean Iran had physically destroyed the American or Israeli militaries."I don't mean that we destroyed the American army or the Zionist regime's army," he said, referring to remarks he had made during what he called the "Ramadan War". He added, "What I mean is that the United States and Israel attacked us with specific and clear objectives, the objectives that they officially declared, put in writing, and repeatedly stated. But they failed to achieve any of those objectives at any level. This was the greatest and absolute defeat for the United States and the Zionist regime."According to Ghalibaf, the memorandum of understanding, signed on June 17, is a "document of honour that consolidates Iran’s victory politically and diplomatically", representing a success on the diplomatic front.Iranian officials have repeatedly presented the conflict through this framework.In earlier comments, Ghalibaf had described negotiations with the US as an extension of the battlefield, calling it "diplomacy of power" and arguing that military pressure strengthened Iran's position at the negotiating table.The conflict began on February 28, when Israel and the US launched a major military campaign against Iran after the breakdown of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme. US officials said the campaign was aimed at severely degrading Iran's military and nuclear capabilities, among other strategic objectives.The fighting subsequently expanded beyond Iran and Israel, drawing in US military assets and triggering Iranian attacks against American interests and bases across the region. The conflict also created serious risks for energy markets and maritime trade because of the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz.Iran, meanwhile, portrayed its military response as evidence that it retained the ability to strike back despite the considerable technological and military superiority of the US and Israel.The US and Israel have maintained that their operations significantly damaged Iran's military and strategic capabilities.A June interim agreement was intended to halt hostilities and open negotiations on issues including Iran's nuclear programme, but the arrangement later effectively broke down after Trump declared it over in July. Tehran accused Washington of violating the agreement and subsequently halted direct military and diplomatic engagement with the US.Iran has since continued to use negotiations and regional mediation as leverage, while maintaining demands that include sanctions relief and the unfreezing of Iranian assets. Talks have been conducted indirectly through mediators including Pakistan and Qatar.The Strait of Hormuz has also become a major element of the confrontation as Tehran has treated control over the strategic waterway as a source of leverage, and sought to establish a mechanism to govern it, which the US disapproved.- EndsPublished On: Aug 17, 2026 08:48 IST