Iran’s new conservative president to have a moderate foreign policy: Scholar
Islamabad: Iran’s new president Ebrahim Raisi would pursue a moderate foreign policy because of domestic and external challenges, expects Iranian scholar Dr. Kayhan Barzegar.
Dr. Barzegar, director at the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies, Tehran, was speaking at a webinar hosted by Islamabad Policy Institute (IPI) on ‘Iran’s Foreign Policy Outlook under New Administration’.
He believed that Iran’s foreign policy under President Raisi would be dictated by geo-political developments, and efforts to obtain access to technology and improve the economy. He maintained that the technology and economic elements were crucial for maintaining Iran’s geopolitical strength.
“At the end of the day Iran’s foreign policy will be about active interaction (with external stakeholders) based on a kind of progressive conservatism,” the scholar said dismissing suggestions that the new administration would pursue a hardline approach. Raisi as president, he observed, would be quite different from Raisi the judge.
He said that President Raisi would domestically develop a political consensus to proceed on this course.
Dr. Barzegar opined that talks for the revival of the nuclear deal – JCPOA – would dominate the new government’s foreign policy agenda.
The scholar cautioned the Western countries against burdening JCPOA negotiations with other regional issues and matters linked to missile development. “I think that’s wrong and I think that will kill the entire negotiation from the beginning,” he maintained.
He hoped that in the event of the restoration of JCPOA, Tehran would become more accommodative and constructive in its external dealings. “If Iran’s sense of strategic insecurity is gone then Iran is likely to join any regional talks,” he added.
He said the Raisi administration would prioritize its ties with countries in its neighborhood especially Pakistan, China, Russia, Turkey, Iraq, and Persian Gulf countries, and strengthen economic relations with them.
About Tehran’s engagement with the Afghan Taliban, Dr. Barzegar said that the Iranian government was trying to protect its interests by talking to the insurgent group. However, he noted that the equation could change if Iranian interests start getting threatened.
He said Tehran recognizes Pakistan’s interests in Afghanistan and hopes that developments there would not affect Pak-Iran bilateral ties.
IPI Executive Director Prof. Sajjad Bokhari, in his opening remarks, underscored the need for peace in the Middle East saying the region has been a breeding ground for conflicts for decades.
