Articles – Page 22 – Seyed Hossein Mousavian

Rouhani is West’s best bet in Iran

Posted on October 25, 2013

Iran defines its political system as independent from outside powers — of most significance, the US. This has been the case throughout the revolution and remains a focal priority, even as Iran seeks reconciliation with the West.

This edict of independence arises not only from Iran’s rich culture, but its resistance to outside pressure also stems from its system of theocracy. Ultimately, if Iran governed its state out of fear from US threats, then further threats would beget further concessions, costing Iran’s Islamic government its identity and independence.

Historical analysis evidences that once Iran sets a goal, it accomplishes its goal despite external pressure and obstacles.

“Rouhani is West’s best bet in Iran,” Hossein Mousavian and Shahir Shahidsaless, Gulf News, October 20, 2013.

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Finding a way out of the nuclear dispute with Iran: back to basics

Posted on October 23, 2013

The international diplomatic, economic and intelligence conflict over Iran’s nuclear program has now been in full flow for over a decade. Few crises have lasted this long at such tempo. It has involved complex games of diplomatic poker, missed opportunities and overplayed hands. Proposals have come and gone involving careful balancing of red lines and attempts to find common interest. With Hassan Rouhani’s election and his clear and articulated desire to find a breakthrough in the deadlock, expressed last month at the United Nations General Assembly and on his historic phone call with President Obama subsequently, it is time to take a step back and look at the situation afresh.

In this new publication, BASIC’s executive director, Paul Ingram, and former Iranian Ambassador to Germany, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, outline the current state of the nuclear dispute with Iran and suggest opportunities to take positive steps forward.

“Finding a way out of the nuclear dispute with Iran: back to basics,” Hossein Mousavian and Paul Ingram, British American Security Information Council, October 23, 2013.

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The road to finalizing a nuclear deal with Iran

Posted on October 18, 2013

A decade of nuclear negotiations failed because the U.S. was not ready to respect the rights of Iran to enrich uranium for civilian use under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). America’s stance changed in Geneva. “We found the Iranian presentation very useful,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said after four rounds of talks ended on Wednesday evening. “The Iranian proposal was a new proposal with a level of seriousness and substance that we had not seen before.”

Four major reasons accounted for the change in dynamics between Iran and the U.S. this time, compared with previous, unproductive discussions.

“The road to finalizing a nuclear deal with Iran,” Hossein Mousavian, Al-Jazeera America, October 18, 2013.

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Obama and Rouhani Should Talk More Often

Posted on October 4, 2013

Although the nuclear issue has priority in Kerry and Zarif’s mandates, the foreign ministers should also discuss other critical issues, such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and extremism in the region. The key to success is to discuss areas of dispute while pressing ahead with practical measures on areas of mutual interest. During my tenure as Iranian ambassador to Germany, Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani held periodic phone conversations that had positive impacts on bilateral, regional and international issues. The Middle East is in turmoil and on the verge of regionwide sectarian and civil war. The United States, as a major international player, and Iran, as a major regional player, have historical responsibilities to bring about peace, stability and security to the Middle East and beyond.

Obama and Rouhani have the capacity for much-needed cooperation. They both must stay firm and focused, concentrating on creating the context for positive negotiations. Obama stating on Sept. 30 that “we take no options off the table, including military options” was poorly received in Tehran and raised unfortunate questions about the United States’ good faith in negotiating. The two presidents should have periodic phone conversations and approve routine meetings of their foreign ministers to consult on bilateral, regional and international issues. They must also recognize the necessity of engaging the other regional and international players, including Europe, Russia, China, India, Japan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt. In the process, it is imperative that they avoid the traps and negativity of the skeptics, in the United States, Iran and elsewhere, who remain stuck in the old thinking — full of distrust and recrimination and still invested in hostility and confrontation — and would therefore miss the opportunity presented to resolve the nuclear issue.

“Obama and Rouhani Should Talk More Often,” Hossein Mousavian, Al-Monitor, October 3, 2013.

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Asharq Al Awsat Opinion: Turkey needs to rethink its regional policy

Posted on September 27, 2013

The Middle East is on fire and the constructive role of Turkey is essential. Ankara should try to revive the Zero Problems Policy with its neighbors. To achieve this urgent objective, Ankara should consider the following:

1) Turkey should not throw all its weight behind the Muslim Brotherhood based on the wrong assumption that the future of the region rests with this party.
2) The Arab Awakening should not lead Turkey to abandon its policy of non-interference.
3) Turkey should maintain a position of neutrality, enabling Ankara to play a credible role in regional crisis management.
4) It must determine which direction its foreign policy is heading. Iranian foreign policy following the 1979 revolution was based on ideology and national interest. Turkey, as a secular state, is essentially acting more ideologically than Iran on its foreign policy.
5) Turkey should not harbor ambitions of reviving the Ottoman past, as it would have grave consequences for Turkey and the region. Turkey’s recent policies have made some countries think Ankara is after reviving the former Ottoman hegemony in the region, believing that the “zero problems policy” was just a cover for Ankara’s “neo-Ottoman” ambitions.
6) The country should not forget its internal challenges. Turkey’s credibility in the region and the world took a beating this summer with Erdoğan’s decision to put down the demonstrations with riot police, tear gas and water cannons leading to the arrest and injury of hundreds of demonstrators in about 50 cities.
7) Turkey should attempt to cooperate with regional powers, mainly Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Egypt, to manage the crisis arising from the Arab Awakening. Such a policy should be based on non-interference, mutual respect and peaceful settlement.

“Opinion: Turkey needs to rethink its regional policy,” Hossein Mousavian, Asharq Al Awsat, September 21, 2013.

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US-Iran talks are an opportunity for reconciliation that must not be wasted

Posted on September 18, 2013

The recent exchange of letters between Iranian and American presidents, coupled with positive statements from two capitals have created hopes for a possible breakthrough in Iran-US relations. Iran is ready to “build trust” with the United States, Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, stated and White House spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said: “We remain ready to engage with the Rouhani government on the basis of mutual respect to achieve a peaceful resolution to the nuclear issue.”

“US-Iran talks are an opportunity for reconciliation that must not be wasted,” Hossein Mousavian, the Guardian, September 18, 2013.

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The US with Iran in Syria

Posted on September 12, 2013

Both Iran and the US consider the use of weapons of mass destruction a grave crime. Indeed, Iran was a major victim of chemical-weapons attacks during its 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Iran can be a major partner to halt proliferation of WMDs in Syria, the Middle East, and beyond.

Iran maintains that the Security Council is the only body legally authorized to verify allegations concerning the use of such deadly weapons and to decide on the appropriate response. One promising avenue for US-Iran cooperation on Syria could be joint support for a fact-finding mission by the Security Council to identify the perpetrators. Obama has his “red line” on the use of chemical weapons. So does Ayatollah Khamenei.

“The US with Iran in Syria,” Hossein Mousavian, Project Syndicate, September 11, 2013.

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Hope From Iran, but Not If There’s an Attack

Posted on September 5, 2013

In the aftermath of 9/11 terrorist attacks, Iran and the United States engaged and cooperated directly in the war on terror. This partnership in Afghanistan resulted in the fall of the Taliban and Al Qaeda there, forming a representative government based on democratic principles. This experience can serve as a blueprint for a new collaboration on Syria.

The implications of this cooperation will not be limited to the Syrian crisis and instead would be vital for the security and stability of the whole region. Multiple crisis in the Middle East require broader management for the time, and therefore, crisis management of this and other crises would be a useful path for regional collaboration between Tehran and Washington under the United Nation’s charter.

“Hope From Iran, but Not If There’s an Attack,” Hossein Mousavian, the New York Times, September 4, 2013.

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Eight Reasons Why US, Iran Must Manage Syria Crisis

Posted on August 29, 2013

The collaboration should take place in the framework of the UN Security Council. Iran and the United States can have a constructive and purposeful collaboration within the boundaries of a new plan orchestrated by the UN Security Council in order to save the Middle East from falling into the abyss of civil and sectarian war. Needless to say, Moscow, Beijing, the European Union and the powerful countries in the Middle East must have constructive and efficient roles and presence in this collaboration. This path will facilitate resolving the nuclear crisis of Iran and will open a new door in ending the 33 years of hostilities between Iran and the United States.

“Eight Reasons Why US, Iran Must Manage Syria Crisis,” Hossein Mousavian, Al-Monitor, August 28, 2013.

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Sectarian War, the Major Threat to the Middle East

Posted on August 10, 2013

In the coming years, one of the most important security challenges for the Middle East will be the emerging sectarian and civil war in Syria spilling over into Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. While a peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear file is a must, the UN Security Council and regional countries should consider “sectarian war” the most imminent threat to the peace and security of the Middle East, with potentially disastrous consequences for the world. No country in the Middle East would be safe from the repercussions of a sectarian war. Delaying measures to mitigate the sectarian crisis facing the region will risk making its resolution impossible in the future.

“Sectarian War, the Major Threat to the Middle East,” Hossein Mousavian, Asharq Al Awsat, August 10, 2013.