A New Chapter of Diplomacy with Araqchi
Before the release of the proposed ministerial list by Masoud Pezeshkian, one of the names that was almost unanimously agreed upon was Seyed Abbas Araqchi, who was considered for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
From Sunday, with the President’s letter sent to the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the list of candidates presented, interactions and activities between Pasteur and the parliamentary commissions have begun.
According to Iran Gate, Ibrahim Rezaei, the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, explained in yesterday morning’s session with the proposed Foreign Minister that Mr. Araqchi outlined his resume and biography at the start of the session, then referred to his programs and views, and subsequently answered the commission members’ questions.
As reported by Tasnim, the spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission emphasized that the government’s nominee for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the parliament’s resolutions in the field of foreign policy are binding and that no exceptions are made for any of these resolutions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs adheres to the policies and guidelines of the country’s top officials, and we are the executors of the communicated policies.
Ibrahim Rezaei also noted that Seyed Abbas Araqchi stated in the specialized session of the National Security Commission that the three main missions of foreign policy are firstly to secure national interests and increase national wealth, secondly to strengthen national security and enhance the country’s power, and thirdly to maintain dignity and enhance the country’s prestige and status.
This member of the Twelfth Parliament continued that the proposed Foreign Minister described the primary mission of this ministry as producing and increasing the country’s wealth and power, and stated that one of the Foreign Ministry’s programs in the fourteenth government is to enhance the country’s diplomacy in the field of foreign policy.
The spokesperson for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission also mentioned that Araqchi, in his session with this commission, praised the neighborly policy of Raisi’s government and emphasized that in the fourteenth government, the path of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian in relations with neighboring countries will continue.
According to Rezaei, Mr. Araqchi emphasized in this session that there is no difference between the field and diplomacy, stating that these two must achieve a result together because diplomacy without the field has no strength or power.
Rezaei added that Araqchi also emphasized that his worldview remains unchanged from his service in the IRGC, and he is not part of the New York gang. This member of parliament further elaborated on the statements of Masoud Pezeshkian’s nominee for leading the diplomatic apparatus of the fourteenth government, noting that Mr. Araqchi, continuing in this session, stated that the Strategic Action Law of the Islamic Consultative Assembly is binding and we must adhere to it, and if honorable negotiations occur, we will act according to the strategic law, and with the strategic law, negotiations can be advanced.
Rezaei concluded by announcing the continuation of a series of other sessions to review Seyed Abbas Araqchi’s programs with the National Security Commission in the coming days.
Falahatpisheh: Araqchi is Iran’s Most Technocratic Diplomat
Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, an analyst, evaluated Seyed Abbas Araqchi’s first session with the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Twelfth Parliament, referring to two parameters of hardware and software within the duality of structure and agent. In this context, he believes Seyed Abbas Araqchi, as the nominee for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the fourteenth government, is the most technocratic diplomat currently in Iran and at the same time the most restricted potential Foreign Minister in the coming four years. This is because, as acknowledged by the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Tenth Parliament, if Seyed Abbas Araqchi can take the helm of Pezeshkian’s government’s foreign policy, he will face one of the most serious restrictions, namely the Strategic Action Law of the Parliament, which will tie his hands for any negotiations with Europeans and Americans aimed at lifting sanctions and simultaneously improving trans-regional relations.
Thus, the senior foreign policy commentator clarifies that what Seyed Abbas Araqchi has stated regarding compliance with the Strategic Action Law in the National Security Commission of the Twelfth Parliament cannot align with reality in practice.
With this understanding, Falahatpisheh envisions that either the fourteenth government must find a solution to moderate the Strategic Action Law in interaction with the Twelfth Parliament, or Araqchi must obtain authorization from supra-governmental entities for negotiation. Otherwise, this parliamentary law cannot allow the fourteenth government to take steps towards improving the damaged relations with the West and resolving the Iranian nuclear issue.
The senior international affairs analyst further notes that although Seyed Abbas Araqchi alluded to his IRGC background in his first session with the members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Twelfth Parliament, Araqchi now has most of his track record in the field of foreign policy. For this reason, Falahatpisheh assesses that Araqchi’s maneuvering on his IRGC background is merely to garner votes from the radical figures of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; otherwise, this claim will have no other function.
Falahatpisheh continues his analysis by returning to the topic of influence and the connection between hardware and software in foreign policy, acknowledging that software in the country’s diplomacy is increasingly overshadowed by hardware and structure. Therefore, the diplomatic maneuverability of Iran’s Foreign Ministers has diminished in all governments.
The expansion of political and power structures and decision-making beyond the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has limited the scope of authority and the executive domain of the foreign policy apparatus.
With this mindset, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Tenth Parliament concludes that an individual like Seyed Abbas Araqchi, as the potential Foreign Minister of the fourteenth government, will advance based on a plan to achieve goals and strategies. Therefore, if the plan and strategy are based on agreement, Araqchi can bring negotiations to fruition.
Because Abbas Araqchi is someone who signed the JCPOA alongside Mohammad Javad Zarif, but if the strategy is based on the same Strategic Action Law of the Eleventh Parliament, Seyed Abbas Araqchi will be forced to proceed on a path based on non-agreement, which has its own specific requirements.
Sadatian: Araqchi Has the Ability to Overcome Internal Dualities
Seyed Jalal Sadatian, another analyst, believes that initially, regarding Seyed Abbas Araqchi’s first session as the nominee for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Pezeshkian government with the members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Twelfth Parliament, and recalling Araqchi’s emphasis on compliance with the Strategic Action Law of the Eleventh Parliament, aligns with Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh’s assessment, acknowledging that if, as Abbas Araqchi stated, he complies with the parliamentary law, there will practically be no opportunity or space for negotiation with the West, lifting sanctions, and improving the damaged relations with Europe. Therefore, the former ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Kingdom points to the limitations ahead for the Foreign Minister of the fourteenth government and believes that if Abbas Araqchi receives sufficient support from other institutions, he will have the potential and knowledge necessary to overcome some limitations and dualities such as field and diplomacy, because from this university professor’s perspective, Seyed Abbas Araqchi has reached a point of maturity with his track record over the years.
This means that Sadatian believes, in an analysis from Araqchi’s diplomatic background, he is positioned between Mohammad Javad Zarif and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
For this reason, Sadatian asserts that Seyed Abbas Araqchi will have control over the duality of field and diplomacy, and through this, he will be able to put an end to some false dichotomies, disruptions, obstacles, and parallel works, provided that the structure allows cooperation and collaboration with the agent.
This former diplomat of our country, in continuing his analysis, also considers individual potentials as a criterion and reminds that if Seyed Abbas Araqchi overcomes the current limitations, taking into account his personal abilities, he will have a more successful track record than Ali Bagheri Kani in negotiating with the West, lifting sanctions, and resolving the nuclear issue from the current crisis.
The more important point from the perspective of this member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Fourth Parliament pertains to the current conditions of the country, and in explaining it, he refers to the East, saying that if Seyed Abbas Araqchi has comprehensive interaction with the security, military, defense institutions, and also supra-governmental organizations, he will be able to contribute to improving the economic, livelihood, cultural, and political situation under diplomatic openings.
In light of the points raised, Seyed Jalal Sadatian also addresses the important issue of Middle East developments, especially after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, and reminds that Israel’s policy and Netanyahu’s strategy are currently focused on challenging and dragging the Islamic Republic of Iran into war.
For this reason, if Seyed Abbas Araqchi takes office as the Foreign Minister of the fourteenth government, he must prioritize neutralizing Netanyahu’s warmongering policy and prevent the destructive and negative influence of Netanyahu and Israel’s strategies on the major diplomatic programs of the fourteenth government.
Otherwise, Pezeshkian’s government will effectively be playing on Israel’s field.