White House sees Iran’s Parliament Speaker as potential partner, future leader: Report

WASHINGTON, TEHRAN: The US is considering the possibility of making Iran’s parliament Speaker a potential partner — and even a future leader — as US President Donald Trump is signalling towards willingness to come to the diplomatic table instead of military coercion in Iran, Politico reported.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the 64-year-old who has repeatedly called out the US and its allies’ actions with strong retaliation, is seen by some officials in the White House as a potential leader who could lead Iran and negotiate with the Trump administration in the war’s next phase, the report stated.

However, White House officials revealed to Politico that they are skimming through multiple options instead of putting all their eggs in a single basket. “He’s a hot option”, one administration official said, cautioning that no decisions have been made. “He’s one of the highest…But we got to test them, and we can’t rush into it”, as per Politico.

Trump’s team is shopping for Iran’s next leader and they just named their favorite

Politico reports the White House is quietly evaluating Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf as a potential post-war partner.

One official called him “a hot option.”

The administration is… https://t.co/f7ij69cipP pic.twitter.com/bQwDGI7cyG

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 23, 2026

Meanwhile, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, M B Ghalibaf, on Tuesday said that the world is divided between those who support the cause of Gaza and the ‘Epstein class’.Ghalibaf said that Iran was fighting for humanity, and there is no middle ground whatsoever. In a post on X, he said, “Iran is fighting for humanity. The world is either with Gaza and against this colonial terror regime, or it stands with the Epstein class and child torturers. There is no middle ground. #GazaGenocide.”

In another post, Ghalibaf on Monday slammed US President Donald Trump, rejecting the latter’s claims regarding ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington, asserting that no such talks have taken place. Ghalibaf rejected the US President’s claims, stating that the remarks were made to “manipulate the financial and oil markets”, which have seen much disruption amid the conflict.

Also, Iran’s Consul General in Mumbai, Saeid Reza Mosayeb Motlagh, said that the international community should engage in talks with the parties that initiated the war and ask them to cease such acts.

“They should play an active role by engaging in dialogue with the party that initiated the war and compel it to cease such actions worldwide. This issue is not limited to Iran. Throughout history, it has been witnessed repeatedly… In the past, they have destroyed whichever country they chose, using harsh measures… Today, however, they are confronted with a nation that stands resolutely in opposition. We therefore call on all countries, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law, to hold them accountable, compel them to respond, and ensure that they do not carry out such unilateral actions against any country again,” he said. (ANI)