[71222] Changes in negotiation leadership: Esmaeil Baghaei appointed as spokesperson for the "Minab 168" delegation
[71222] Changes in negotiation leadership: Esmaeil Baghaei appointed as spokesperson for the "Minab 168" delegation
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of the Iranian negotiation delegation, has appointed Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as the spokesperson for the delegation in the talks known as "Minab 168".
New appointment at the head of the Iranian negotiation delegation
On May 22, 2026, it was reported by numerous media outlets in Iran that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, serving as the head of the negotiation delegation known as "Minab 168", appointed Esmaeil Baghaei, the current Foreign Ministry spokesperson, to the position of delegation spokesperson.
According to the IRNA news agency, which is identified with the official establishment, Ghalibaf praised Baghaei in the appointment letter as "one of the revolutionary forces and experts in international law". It was further noted in the appointment letter, as published by SNN (Student News Network), that the goal is for Baghaei to assist in "illuminating and explaining the positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the world".
The news was widely disseminated on Telegram channels identified with various factions in the Iranian political system, including the Revolutionary Guards channel, Akharin Khabar, and the Pezeshkian supporters channel, which indicates a broad consensus around the move within the ruling elite.
Conversely, Al-Arabiya Persian, which represents a critical and external line toward Tehran, reported the appointment as a dry fact, while noting the fact that this is a delegation negotiating with the United States, thereby emphasizing the importance of the political file in question.