Hawzah News Agency- Hojatoleslam Mojtaba Zolnouri, a member of Iran’s Parliament representing the city of Qom, made the remarks while addressing a session of the “Tali‘eh Ramadan 1447” lecture series, held in Qom and organized by the Cultural and Propagation Department of the Islamic Propagation Office of the Qom Seminary.
Zolnouri said the United States is now openly combining negotiations with military threats, stressing that talks are no longer conducted “with smiles and diplomatic courtesies,” but rather under the shadow of warships and armed force.
Hybrid Warfare against Iran
Outlining what he described as the enemy’s hybrid war against Iran, Zolnouri said the current US administration has deployed the CENTCOM commander to the region while simultaneously moving its military fleet toward West Asia.
“This means negotiations are no longer limited to dialogue and diplomacy,” he said. “An explicit military threat has now become an integral part of the so-called negotiation process.”
An Enduring Conflict between Truth and Falsehood
Referring to statements by Iran’s Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Zolnouri said recent unrest and pressures against Iran are neither unprecedented nor final.
“From the beginning of creation, there has been an ongoing confrontation between truth and falsehood,” he said. “This struggle will continue until truth prevails and the earth is ultimately governed by justice.”
He added that the Qur’an clearly states that adversaries will not cease their hostility unless believers abandon their faith, emphasizing that the conflict confronting Iran is ideological and identity-based, not merely political or economic.
“This is not a war over oil or borders,” he said. “It is a war over belief, independence, and national identity.”
From Velvet Gloves to Open Weaponization
Comparing the current situation with the era of the 2015 nuclear negotiations, Zolnouri said Western powers previously concealed their coercive intentions behind diplomatic rhetoric.
“In the past, the enemy wore a velvet glove over an iron fist,” he said. “Today, the glove has been removed—and the weapon has been placed directly on the table.”
He said the visible militarization of diplomacy exposes Washington’s true intentions and undermines any claim to peaceful engagement.
New Enemy Strategies: Regime Change and Fragmentation
Zolnouri said enemy strategies have evolved beyond traditional tools such as sanctions, economic pressure, and psychological warfare.
He pointed to what he called ‘selection engineering’, whereby foreign powers openly promote specific figures as alternatives to Iran’s political system, while attempting to unite fragmented opposition groups behind them.
He also warned of renewed efforts to incite ethnic conflict, separatism, and internal fragmentation, describing them as deliberate attempts to weaken Iran from within.
Categorizing Protest Participants
Zolnouri divided those involved in recent unrest into four categories:
- Direct agents linked to foreign intelligence services, including Mossad;
- Trained and ideologically influenced leaders;
- Ordinary participants and bystanders, some of whom were economic breadwinners;
- Support networks, including certain celebrities and trade groups who, he said, fueled tensions.
Parliamentary Solutions and National Resilience
Turning to solutions, Zolnouri said Parliament and the government bear primary responsibility for resolving the country’s challenges. He claimed that if the parliament fulfills its duties effectively, up to 70 percent of Iran’s problems could be addressed.
“We have concrete plans to tackle issues related to housing, automobiles, gold markets, and corruption,” he said.
Rejecting claims that Iran faces a deadlock, Zolnouri said the country is capable of overcoming its current challenges through proper management, strategic prioritization, and optimal use of limited resources.
“Iran is not at an impasse,” he concluded. “With correct governance and national resolve, the country can pass through these critical historical junctures with dignity and strength.”
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