Iran says U.S., Israel failed to achieve goals in 40-day war

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the United States and Israel failed to achieve their objectives in a 40-day war against Iran and described the Islamabad memorandum as a “declaration of U.S. defeat.”

Speaking at the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation conference in Baku, Ghalibaf said the conflict was an attempt to alter the strategic balance in the region and impose foreign will on Iran.

He said the resistance of Iran’s armed forces and public support forced its opponents to abandon their objectives and move toward negotiations.

“The Islamabad memorandum became a declaration of America’s defeat,” Ghalibaf said.

He said Iran supported peace based on mutual respect, equality and the rights of states, adding that regional security should be ensured by the countries of the region themselves.

Ghalibaf also reiterated support for the Palestinian people and said lasting security in the Middle East would not be possible without a just solution to the Palestinian issue.

N.Tebrizli