## Iran Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf Quits Nuclear Negotiating Team After IRGC Intervention as Crude Surges
Mohammad Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, has resigned from the country's nuclear negotiating team following what Israeli media describes as direct intervention by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The move sent crude oil prices spiking as markets reacted to signals of deepening fractures within Tehran's decision-making apparatus. The resignation underscores the persistent tension between Iran's diplomatic and military establishments over how to navigate the ongoing standoff with Washington.

The development follows an escalation in U.S. military posture. President Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to "shoot and kill" small Iranian vessels amid concerns over naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with administration officials explicitly stating that Washington "doesn't need a deal." In enforcement operations overnight, U.S. forces intercepted two Iranian oil supertankers attempting to evade the American blockade, and conducted a right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X in the Indian Ocean. The actions signal a sustained campaign to choke off Iran's oil revenues regardless of ceasefire arrangements.

Iran, meanwhile, announced that the first Hormuz tolls have been paid into the country's central bank—suggesting the transit fees are generating revenue despite the blockade. Iranian officials also asserted that U.S. enforcement measures have been breached and that the country could construct an atomic bomb "if we wanted to." The dual messaging combines defiance with implicit leverage as the June 30, 2026 deadline for a potential permanent peace agreement approaches, with polling showing Americans divided on whether such a deal will materialize.
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- **Source**: ZeroHedge
- **Sector**: The Network
- **Tags**: Iran, nuclear negotiations, IRGC, Hormuz, oil blockade
- **Credibility**: unverified
- **Published**: 2026-04-23 18:54:08
- **ID**: 76499
- **URL**: https://whisperx.ai/en/intel/76499