Again the same diplomatic team
Once more, the same diplomatic team accompanying Pezeshkian on this trip, besides delivering a speech at the UN General Assembly, has scheduled bilateral meetings and participation in a press conference. A significant aspect of this trip is the small number of the President’s entourage and, on the other hand, their importance.
Considering the statement by Seyed Abbas Araqchi, our country’s Foreign Minister, about pursuing a new round of nuclear negotiations and the presence of the JCPOA architect team on the President’s flight, there are speculations about preliminary negotiations and behind-the-scenes talks in New York.
According to Mehdi Sanaei, the Deputy Political Director of the President’s Office, Pezeshkian will meet with 20 heads of state during this trip.
Bilateral meetings and attending a session with senior managers of American media were among the President’s programs on the first day of his presence at the United Nations.
The President in a meeting with senior managers of American media
According to Iran Gate, the President attended a meeting with American media managers at 8:30 AM New York time. Pezeshkian said, ‘Our perspective regarding the country, the region, and the world is clear and transparent. When I ran for elections in Iran, my slogan was unity and cohesion because we must first resolve the differences that exist in the country.’ The President emphasized that Iran belongs to all Iranians, saying, ‘I am not affiliated with any faction or party, which is why people welcomed and voted for us. Despite not being affiliated with any faction, the people’s vote brought us to this position.’ Pezeshkian added, ‘Our priority in international relations is our neighbors, with whom we should reach an understanding while maintaining boundaries and security and prevent actions that jeopardize the internal security of any of us.’
He stated, ‘We will have such relationships with the world as well. We have healthy and equal relations with the world and believe that peace and security should replace war and bloodshed in the world, and that people should not kill each other.’ Pezeshkian, emphasizing that we seek unity and cohesion in our country, said, ‘We will consider this in management, away from factional, gender, and ethnic dependencies.’
The President asserted, ‘We believe that if we act with rights and justice in our country, we will set the country right. We will pursue the same program with the world, especially with countries that have portrayed an unfavorable image of us.’ He added, ‘Iran has a civilization spanning thousands of years. We are not what the world media portrays. Consequently, we are ready to live with peace and security with the entire world and are not seeking unrest.’ Pezeshkian added, ‘We have come here to convey our message to the world. This is our heartfelt belief, and we strive to demonstrate internal and external coordination as much as possible.’
Return of the diplomats
The JCPOA, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 nuclear agreement, or whatever name it goes by, is tied to the names of several diplomats. Javad Zarif, who was the Foreign Minister at that time and is now the Strategic Deputy of the President, Seyed Abbas Araqchi, and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, who were senior negotiators and his deputies, are now present together as the Foreign Minister and Political Deputy.
Alongside these diplomats, Ali Tayebnia, the President’s Senior Advisor, was also on this flight to New York. Considering the President’s previous remarks about prioritizing the resolution of the FATF issue and exiting the blacklist, Ali Tayebnia’s presence, with his economic expertise, is also noteworthy. Mehdi Sanaei, the Deputy Political Director of the President’s Office, is also a seasoned diplomat who was previously Iran’s ambassador to Moscow.
Speculations suggest that, given the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, initial bilateral and multilateral consultations might take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. However, Seyed Abbas Araqchi emphasized that conditions have changed significantly since the JCPOA was signed, and the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts have significantly impacted international issues.
Once again, Kayhan
Given the murmurs about resuming nuclear negotiations and efforts to lift sanctions, the Kayhan newspaper, which had previously reverted to its default settings from before 2021, targeted these whispers. In his editorial, Hossein Shariatmadari, in the style of his old writings, wrote, ‘Simultaneously with the honorable President of our country’s trip to New York to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly, some reformist claimants in their managed websites and newspapers, like Sazandegi and Etemad newspapers, advised him to meet with Trump, Harris, and other American officials on this trip and referred to these meetings as breakthroughs in New York. The humiliating recommendation of the reformist claimants to Mr. Pezeshkian is while’
a) America has not refrained from any crime against Islamic Iran. b) America has not fulfilled any of its international commitments towards Iran, with the JCPOA being the latest example. So much so that the main parties involved in the negotiations leading to the JCPOA, like Mr. Zarif, Salehi, and Seif, have acknowledged and admitted it. Ironically, it was supposed that sanctions would be lifted through negotiations, but instead, they doubled.
These days, there is a widespread wave of condemnation against America and Europe for supporting the unprecedented and brutal crimes of the Zionist regime, and it is expanding daily. Yet, on this side, a notorious spectrum of reformist claimants still praises and buys disgrace for America. Of course, Shariatmadari did not mention that international relations fundamentally do not align with this view and did not propose an alternative path.
