Iranian TV Abruptly Cuts Off Interview with Parliament Speaker Qalibaf

Iranian state television abruptly ended the live broadcast of an interview with Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of Parliament and chief negotiator, late Tuesday evening on the "Khabar" channel. The Iranian Broadcasting Corporation did not provide any official explanation for the sudden interruption.

This incident followed a similar disruption during a live interview with Mahmoud Nabavian, Deputy Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, which was also cut off without official clarification.

The Iranian Parliament's media center stated that the interview with Qalibaf had been delivered in full to the broadcasting institution more than two hours before its scheduled airing. However, the broadcast was unexpectedly stopped midway without prior coordination.

According to a statement from the media center, the interview was conducted in compliance with directives from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to monitor the implementation of conditions outlined in the memorandum of understanding, aiming to inform the public about the latest developments. The statement noted that the interview was pre-recorded, not live, meaning that if any part was to be withheld from airing, the Parliament's media center should have been informed in advance.

The statement added that the unaired segments included responses to what were described as "false allegations" concerning International Atomic Energy Agency inspections of Iranian nuclear sites. It also covered details on efforts to secure the release of frozen Iranian assets, a clause allocating $300 billion for reconstruction within the memorandum text, replies to statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump, and explanations of the strategic messages contained in the Supreme Leader's speech on June 18.

During the interview, Qalibaf affirmed that Iran is "not currently conducting any negotiations with the United States," clarifying that talks halted after the memorandum of understanding was signed. He explained that the recent visit to Switzerland was dedicated to discussing mechanisms for implementing the memorandum's provisions, not to initiate new negotiations.

Qalibaf described what he termed the "U.S. naval blockade" on Iranian ports, which commenced after the ceasefire, as "the harshest form of war." He considered lifting this blockade one of the main outcomes of the memorandum signed between Tehran and Washington.

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Qalibaf stated that its importance "increases with the volume of maritime traffic passing through it." He warned against turning the strait into a tool detrimental to Iran's interests, emphasizing that ensuring smooth navigation serves the country's economic interests.