Iran's parliament speaker says US military buildup contradicts 'de-escalation' rhetoric

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said U.S. military movements in the region contradict Washington's calls for de-escalation, according to a statement posted on X. Ghalibaf said American field activity is "completely at odds" with its rhetoric of de-escalation, and argued that Washington continues to send new military reinforcements and equipment to the region while claiming to seek an end to war with Iran. He accused the United States of an "inconsistent" posture, saying Washington portrays itself as working to end the conflict while simultaneously shipping new military matériel. Ghalibaf added that Iran has reached "a high level of expertise" in exposing what he described as U.S. maneuvers and is well prepared to respond to them. Ghalibaf, a former senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, serves as Iran's parliament speaker. No further details were immediately available on the specific deployments or diplomatic contacts referenced in his remarks.