Iran too holds key 'cards', says Iran's Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf
Tehran, April 27
Iran's Parliament Speaker MB Ghalibaf on Monday said in a cryptic message that although US President Donald Trump claims he has all the cards, Iran, too holds quite a leverage.
Ghalibaf, through a mathematical equation, explained that Iran's supply equates demand by the US.
In a post on X, he said, "They brag about the cards. Let's see: Supply Cards= Demand Cards. SOH (partly played)+BEM(unplayed)+Pipelines(unplayed)= Inv Release (played)+Demand Destruction (partly played)+More Price Adj (to come)."
He added, "Add summer vacation to the right unless they want to cancel it for the US!"
Here, SOH refers to the Strait of Hormuz. BEM refers to Bab el-Mandeb.
Ghalibaf meant to say that Iran held the 'supply cards', that is, tools to disrupt global oil supply. Strait of Hormuz is partly threatened, while the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and pipelines remain unused.
Ghalibaf said that the US holds cards to respond to these disruptions. The US lets inventory release, and 'destroy' the demand of oil by letting prices rise.
In the end, he noted that the summer are peak season for oil demand. If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed even then, the gas prices in US will go off the roofs. This would happen right before mid terms, raising Trump's fears of a blue wave.
In 2026, the Midterm General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3.
Meanwhile, Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi has called for freedom of navigation during his talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
"Good discussion on the Strait of Hormuz with Iran's Foreign Minister Dr. Araghchi. As litoral states, we recognize our shared responsibility to the international community and the urgent humanitarian need to free the seafarers held for far too long. Much diplomacy is required and practical solutions to ensure lasting freedom of navigation," he said in a post on X.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is classic brinkmanship. Both sides are posturing, but the real losers are ordinary people who will pay more at the pump. I hope diplomacy prevails—Oman's call for freedom of navigation is the sane voice in all this.
As an Indian, I find the US-Iran tensions alarming. Our economy is fragile enough without oil price spikes. Ghalibaf's equation SOH + BEM = disruption is a scary thought for summer. Hope our government is working on strategic petroleum reserves and alternative routes.
Trump's 'all cards' claim is obviously an exaggeration. Iran does have leverage, especially with the Strait of Hormuz. But Ghalibaf's timing around US midterms feels like psychological warfare. Let's see how this plays out.
Honestly, this whole card game is exhausting. Both sides need to de-escalate. India has good relations with both Iran and the US—maybe we can play a mediating role? We can't afford another oil crisis with summer just around the corner. 🛢️
Ghalibaf's equation is clever but simplistic. The US has far more economic tools. Still, Iran's ability to disrupt global supply is real. The comments about summer vacations and midterms show he's targeting domestic US politics. Classic move.
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