A Global Platform and an Opportunity for National Interests
A global platform and an opportunity for national interests. The current leadership during its presidency went to New York once, and so did Mohammad Khatami.
No president or political figure addresses only the internal issues of their country from this podium.
Because it is an international platform, but each of these figures usually tries to ensure that, in addition to the message they want to convey to the world, their speeches are aligned with their country’s national interests.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the first Iranian president to speak at this assembly 8 times.
The speeches that were supposed to give Iran an international role and represent its image were instead spent on denying the Holocaust, repeating conspiracy theories about September 11, global governance, the emergence of the Twelfth Imam of the Shiites, the decline of the West, and reforming global structures.
One of the issues raised at that time after Ahmadinejad’s speeches was that the then Iranian president easily turned the issue of anti-Israeli occupation and Zionist ideology into anti-Semitism behind the UN podium.
The then president was heavily criticized for his costly remarks at that time.
Hassan Rouhani also delivered 8 speeches at this assembly, went to New York 7 times, and attended once via video conference. Rouhani had a generally positive presence and prioritized Iran’s issues in his speeches.
He talked about the Palestinian issue, occupation, and the spread of terrorism, with the issue of ISIS being relevant at that time.
The Iran section in Rouhani’s eight speeches was largely influenced by the nuclear issue and the JCPOA, from its conclusion to the U.S. withdrawal from it.
Again, it was about Iran and our national interests.
Ebrahim Raisi, the late president, in his three speeches, took a path in terms of content between Ahmadinejad and Rouhani.
He both recounted the injustices done to the Iranian people and addressed issues like the decline of the West.
Masoud Pezeshkian is the sixth Iranian president to attend the United Nations General Assembly and will deliver the twenty-second speech.
Naturally, the president will convey the Islamic Republic’s perspective on issues, such as the regional situation, America’s hostile policies in the world, the use of sanctions as a weapon, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and Israeli crimes in Lebanon and Tehran.
But I hope Mr. President prioritizes Iran and national interests.
When we are deeply entangled in problems in our own Iran, we neither have a mission to change the world nor the economic and political influence to do so. Therefore, I remind that this platform is first for talking about Iran and its interests, then for other issues.
That platform and the president’s other programs during the New York trip, such as meetings and interviews, should focus on realities on one hand and stem from Iran’s national interests on the other.