Iran's president-elect embarks on charm offensive with Arabic open letter

Iran’s newly elected president Masoud Pezeshkain began a regional charm offensive Wednesday, claiming in a piece written for an Arabic outlet that his government’s top priority is to expand relations with neighbors.

Bilateral relations between Iran and the Arab countries around the Persian Gulf has improved significantly since March 2023, when China brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, then led by former president Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May.

“I extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to all neighbors and countries in the region to launch a genuine and serious movement in the path of cooperation,” Pezeshkian said in a piece for the website New Arab. “Iran and its Arab and Muslim neighbors have common positions and interests… We all reject the monopoly of certain forces over world decisions, as well as the division of the world and polarization based on the interests of major powers.”

Iran and its Muslim neighbors do share a concern for Palestinians and their plight. But they have major differences in their approach to address that concern. Iran openly backs Hamas and many armed groups across the Middle East, some of which act against the interests of their government.

In April, when Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel, some Arab countries did join the United States to help fend off the attacks. Iran’s president-elect seems to have decided to ignore the differences in his piece.

“The bleeding wound of Palestine is our common cause, and its treatment is also our cause,” he stated. “Security and stability in the region will only be achieved by recognizing the Palestinian people's right to comprehensive resistance as a means to liberate them from occupation and secure their natural and obvious rights.”

Iran’s foreign policy is known to be determined by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his closest aides, most notably in the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). Iran’s president has next to no say on strategic decisions beyond the country’s border, where IRGC’s overseas arm, the Quds Force, has for many years been the main player.

Unofficial reports Wednesday suggested that Abbas Araghchi, a central figure during the negotiations that led to the 2015 nuclear deal, would become the Foreign Minister. If appointed, Araghchi may once more play a key role in potential negotiations that Pezeshkain has vowed to pursue in an attempt to revive the nuclear deal.

Many of Iran’s neighbors are worried about the country’s nuclear program, which the UN nuclear watchdog says is one step away from weaponization. The US and other western governments are worried that Iran’s weaponization would lead other countries in the region to pursue a similar path. Once more, Iran’s newly elected seems to have overlooked this point in his piece.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers the strength of its neighbors as its own strength,” Pezeshkian said in his piece. “It believes that neighbors should not enhance their capabilities at the expense of others. The uber-priority of Iranian foreign policy is expanding cooperation with neighbors.”