Iran’s reformist president-elect sounds hawkish note on west
Iran’s president-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, said his foreign policy will prioritize strengthening ties with Gulf Arab states including Saudi Arabia while taking a hawkish stance on the U.S. and Europe.
In an op-ed in the Tehran Times, a state-run English-language newspaper, Pezeshkian sharply criticized Europe and the U.S. for flouting the moribund 2015 nuclear deal and supporting Israel amid its bombardment of Gaza. He didn’t mention any plans to try to revive the accord, but stressed that he sought “constructive engagement with the world.”
The statement, published on Friday, comes as two of Iran’s key allies in the region — Hamas and Hezbollah — are embroiled in conflict with Israel. Pezeshkian also faces the potential re-election of Donald Trump in November U.S. elections and the prospect of a much more confrontational White House.
Pezeshkian, a reformist, was elected earlier this month promising to improve the economy, lift U.S. sanctions and end the isolation of Iran’s banking system. He voiced support for the nuclear agreement and was seen as someone who wants to end the isolationist policies of his late predecessor, the hard-line cleric Ebrahim Raisi.
Still, ultimate authority over foreign policy rests with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Pezeshkian’s ability to execute diplomatic goals may be limited. He’s set to formally assume office July 28, according to state media.
His statement in the Tehran Times, the first to publicly outline his foreign policy since his election, emphasized the value of Iran’s alliances with Russia and China and its recent admission into the BRICS group of nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization — initiatives that were heavily pursued by the Raisi administration.
Pezeshkian criticized Europe for “self-arrogated moral supremacy” and said the U.S. had been “abusing” longstanding international efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons “in order to fabricate a crisis” involving Iran’s atomic activities.
