Iran’s new foreign minister has an opportunity to reshape the country’s foreign policy, cutting a creative path through the rigid confines of the political landscape.
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All by Mehran Haghirian
Iran’s new foreign minister has an opportunity to reshape the country’s foreign policy, cutting a creative path through the rigid confines of the political landscape.
Iran’s two presidential candidates have presented two diverging visions for the future of the Islamic Republic at a time when most Iranians have come to question the fundamental tenets of their political system.
In March, China managed to a broker a détente between Iran and Saudi Arabia, achieving a diplomatic breakthrough that had eluded European governments. But Europe and China have shared interests in the region and there is scope for the two powers to work together to foster further multilateral diplomacy.
At the second meeting of the Baghdad Conference on Cooperation and Partnership, regional economic integration was a new focus for the countries involved.
Qatar’s transport minister made a two-day trip to Iran’s Kish Island, during which officials and businesspersons from both countries explored possible teamwork as Qatar prepares to host the 2022 World Cup.
Iran’s Arab neighbours have acknowledged that they can benefit from JCPOA-related sanctions relief, suggesting that regional diplomacy underway has reinforced trust in the nuclear talks.
The Rouhani administration’s efforts to foster regional diplomacy were never taken seriously by Arab leaders. But the participation of Iran in the Baghdad Conference makes clear that the importance of regional diplomacy is understood even among Iran’s so-called hardliners.
The Raisi administration is set to change the tone of Iranian diplomacy, but not the overall trajectory of the country’s foreign policy, which will need to remain pragmatic.
Earlier this week, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the foreign minister of Qatar, travelled to Tehran in the latest instance of Doha's efforts to act as a facilitator for the resolution of international conflicts.
