“Unity as Deterrent”: Iran’s Parliament Speaker Calls Cohesion the Nation’s Chief Bulwark

According to Saed News, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, told deputies during an open parliamentary session that the “imposed 12‑day war” has forged an unassailable sense of national identity, which he described as “the main deterrent” to any further attacks. He insisted that safeguarding this cohesion, centred on the unifying leadership of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, is “a primary responsibility for all Iranians.”

Qalibaf recounted that on June 13 the Israeli regime undertook a “surprise and unprovoked offensive” targeting senior military commanders, nuclear experts and civilians, only for the United States to join the campaign over a week later by striking the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities in clear contravention of the UN Charter and the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty. In response, Iran’s Armed Forces executed coordinated operations against Israeli positions in the occupied Palestinian territories and at al‑Udeid airbase in Qatar, culminating on June 24 in the cessation of hostilities.

Turning to regional dynamics, the parliament speaker accused Tel Aviv of seeking to “fragment Muslim countries” through airstrikes on Damascus and other hostile actions, aimed at advancing its “geopolitical ambitions.” He reaffirmed Iran’s steadfast support for Syria’s territorial integrity and denounced the “Zionist regime” as a persistent threat to West Asia’s stability.

Finally, Qalibaf welcomed the Hague Group’s recent decision to impose an arms embargo on Israel, calling it “a bold and necessary step” to hold the regime accountable on the international stage.