Meet Iran's hardline speaker who threatened to burn US forces — reportedly Tehran's point man for talks

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Marc Thiessen, former speechwriter to former President George W. Bush, discusses the U.S. strategy in Operation Epic Fury, likening it to being on Iran's 20-yard line. The man reportedly being floated by the Trump administration as a possible interlocutor with Iran is also one of the regime’s most hardline figures — Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The longtime Revolutionary Guards commander is widely described by experts as a loyal "yes man," with a record of threats against the United States and deep ties to the system’s inner circle. That contradiction underscores the central question facing U.S. policymakers: Even if Washington is speaking to the "right people," as President Donald Trump has claimed, can someone like Ghalibaf actually deliver? "Ghalibaf doesn’t have an independent line. His strength is that he is a ‘yes man,’"