Iran’s reformist president elect sounds hawkish note on West

Iran’s president elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, said his foreign policy would prioritise strengthening ties with Gulf Arab states including Saudi Arabia while taking a hawkish stance on the US and Europe.

In an op-ed in the Tehran Times, a state-run English-language newspaper, Pezeshkian sharply criticised Europe and the US 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 US 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 US sanctions and end the isolation of Iran’s banking system. He voiced support for the nuclear agreement and was seen as someone who wanted 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 on 28 July, according to state media.

His statement in the Tehran Times, the first to publicly outline his foreign policy since his election, emphasised the value of Iran’s alliances with Russia and China and its recent admission into the BRICS group of nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation — initiatives that were heavily pursued by the Raisi administration.

Pezeshkian criticised Europe for “self-arrogated moral supremacy” and said the US had been “abusing” longstanding international efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons “in order to fabricate a crisis” involving Iran’s atomic activities.

“Despite these missteps, I look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue with European countries to set our relations on the right path, based on principles of mutual respect and equal footing,” he said.

Pezeshkian said he was committed to “fostering mutually beneficial relations” with the Global South, especially African countries. He said he would prioritise building ties with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

“As a first measure, my administration will urge our neighbouring Arab countries to collaborate and utilise all political and diplomatic leverages to prioritise achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” Pezeshkian said, while criticising states that had pursued the normalization of relations with Israel — which include both Saudi Arabia and the UAE — because such a policy amounts to a “reward for genocide.” DM

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