Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, has emerged as a possible U.S. contact for talks even as the Iranian leadership remains under fire during the war. Reports suggest Washington may see him as a negotiating partner. Iran’s theocracy has been in turmoil since a February 28 Israeli strike killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His son Mojtaba has taken over, but he has not been seen after reports of having been wounded. Qalibaf is a former Revolutionary Guard commander and Tehran mayor. Critics link him to violent crackdowns and corruption claims. On Tuesday, he denied there are any talks with the U.S. underway. The semiofficial Tasnim news agency called the reports about Qalibaf a Western plot to divide Iran.