US negotiating with Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf after Trump was coy on which leader was in charge: report

The Trump administration is in talks with Iran’s parliament speaker to try to end the war, according to a new report.

Mohammad ⁠Baqher Qalibaf, who threatened mass retaliation against energy facilities across the Middle East in the face of President Trump’s ultimatum over the weekend, is the “top person” speaking with the US that the president mentioned on Monday, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The president stressed that the person leading the talks in Iran was not the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to make a public appearance and is believed to be injured and in hiding.

President Trump pushed back plans to strike Iran earlier Monday, March 23, 2026. Getty Images

Trump said he paused his plan to attack Iran’s power plants by Monday night after the US began engaging in talks with a high level regime official who he claimed was effectively in charge of the Islamic Republic.

“A top person,” Trump told reporters, describing the individual the US was allegedly in talks with.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad ⁠Baqher Qalibaf threatened mass retaliation against energy facilities across the Middle East. via REUTERS

“Don’t forget: We’ve wiped out the leadership phase one, phase two and largely phase three. But we’re dealing with a man who I believe is the most respected and the leader, you know it’s a little tough, they’ve wiped out – we’ve wiped out everybody,” he added.