‘New world order emerging’: Ghalibaf claims Iran’s ‘70-day resistance’ against US marks rise of Global South

Amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry between the United States and Iran, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday stressed that the world is entering a historic transition where the long-standing dominance of Western powers is steadily weakening and a new global order led by emerging nations is beginning to take shape.

In a strongly worded statement shared on social media, Ghalibaf asserted that the international system now stands “at the cusp of a new order,” arguing that Iran’s prolonged resistance against American and Israeli pressure has accelerated a major geopolitical transformation. He claimed the future would belong to countries of the “Global South” as developing nations increasingly challenge the influence of Western powers in global affairs.

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Ghalibaf links Iran’s resistance to global power shift

Referring to Iran’s “70-day resistance” against military and economic pressure from the United States and Israel, Ghalibaf said the confrontation had exposed weaknesses in the existing global structure dominated by Washington and its allies.

Invoking remarks made by Xi Jinping about historic global transformations underway, Ghalibaf argued that the pace of change in international politics was accelerating rapidly.

According to the Iranian leader, the ongoing resistance campaign had shortened the timeline for the decline of the US-led unipolar world order. He maintained that nations across Asia, Africa and Latin America were increasingly seeking alternatives to Western political and economic influence.

The world stands at the cusp of a new order.

As President Xi said “The transformation unseen in a century is accelerating across the globe,” and I emphasize that the Iranian nation’s 70-day resistance has accelerated this transformation.

The future belongs to the Global South.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) May 16, 2026

Remarks come amid high-stakes global diplomacy

Ghalibaf’s comments arrived at a particularly sensitive moment in international diplomacy, with tensions remaining high across multiple global flashpoints involving Washington, Beijing and Tehran.

The statement also came shortly after a closely watched summit in Beijing where Chinese President Xi hosted US President Donald Trump for discussions centred on trade disputes, tariffs and the growing tensions surrounding Taiwan.

As conflicts, sanctions battles and strategic rivalries continue to reshape international politics, Iran has increasingly framed its foreign policy around resistance to Western pressure while deepening ties with countries such as China and Russia.

Ghalibaf’s statement is likely to further sharpen geopolitical debate over the future balance of power as global divisions deepen between Western alliances and emerging blocs pushing for a more multipolar international system.