Published in Donya-e-Eqtesad Newspaper on August 1, 2025
On the first anniversary of Dr. Pezeshkian’s administration, it can be said that the hopes of his foreign policy team for a breakthrough in foreign relations have not yet come to fruition. As a member of his foreign policy team during the election campaign, I, along with other esteemed colleagues, devoted significant efforts to transforming Iran’s foreign policy and opening new horizons that had previously been closed. While these efforts cannot be deemed entirely ineffective, they have, at the very least, not yet borne fruit. Dr. Pezeshkian’s government began its tenure immediately after the inauguration ceremony with a foreign policy crisis—the assassination of Martyr Haniyeh—which, thanks to the actions of the Foreign Minister, the then-Deputy for Strategic Affairs to the President, and others, did not escalate into war at that juncture.Subsequently, the fact that negotiations resumed despite Trump’s victory in the United States was a result of the aforementioned efforts, which deserve appreciation. However, what remains necessary for the new administration is greater initiative and full authority for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this domain, as well as implementing effective changes at higher levels of the ministry. Moreover, beyond changes in the minister or deputies, if the boldness and approach to conducting affairs do not undergo sufficient transformation, minimal negotiations will not suffice to address the country’s needs or effectively counter opposing parties.
