U.S. officials are privately considering Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the 64-year-old speaker of Iran's parliament, as a potential intermediary to help steer Iran into negotiated diplomacy and conclude the present phase of hostilities. Administration sources say Ghalibaf is under active review among a slate of candidates the White House is assessing for a possible political transition or accommodation.
While Ghalibaf has in the past threatened retaliation against the United States, some officials believe he could play a role in resolving the current military escalation. One administration official described him bluntly as "He’s a hot option," while adding that the White House is still stress-testing multiple candidates for suitability.
President Trump has publicly indicated a desire to identify a "solid" leader who could contribute to stabilizing the region following a period when U.S. and Israeli operations significantly weakened Tehran’s leadership. The search for a cooperative figure runs parallel to the president's decision to impose a five-day pause on military strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure, a suspension intended to create space for high-level negotiations.
Protecting global oil supplies and avoiding further upward pressure on inflation are central motives behind this diplomatic push. Administration officials say the aim is to secure an energy arrangement that serves U.S. interests. In that vein, one official framed the strategy as seeking a deal akin to the arrangement involving Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela, saying, "It’s all about installing someone like a Delcy Rodríguez in Venezuela that we say, ‘We’re going to keep you there.'" That comment underscores a preference for a political figure who would trade cooperation on energy terms for political survival.
Not all U.S. partners are convinced such a transactional arrangement would be accepted by Iran's leadership. Some national security allies have expressed skepticism that Tehran would agree to a deal of this nature. Critics within and outside government suggest the president may be overstating the state of diplomatic progress as a way to buy time and calm volatile global markets.
Tehran, for its part, has denied that formal negotiations are underway. Ghalibaf himself dismissed the president's claims as "fake news" and framed those assertions as an attempt to manipulate global financial and oil markets.
Contextual note: The information above reflects the positions and statements attributed to U.S. administration officials and to Iranian leadership as reported by government sources. Where assertions are disputed, those disputes are reported as described by the parties involved.