Iranian Foreign Policy – Seyed Hossein Mousavian

[:en]How to Make the Iranian Nuclear Deal Durable[:]

Posted on March 10, 2021

[:en]

The record of the JCPOA’s enforcement over the past five years demonstrates that the main threat to any nuclear agreement with Tehran emanates in large part from Washington’s desire to preserve most of its economic leverage over Iran and minimize the actual benefits of sanctions removal for the country. This is basically because the core dispute between the United States and Iran is about the region, not just the nuclear issue. Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018 and the reimposition of unprecedented U.S. sanctions against Iran clearly bear out this assessment, as they were meant to regain and expand U.S. bargaining power against Iran in the hope of securing a better nuclear deal and addressing the regional issues.

PDF Version

[:]

Essays, Publications, مقاله ها

How the US Iranian Regional Security Strategies Diverge

Posted on April 4, 2019

“The Iranian and US models to promote regional security differs because the former emphasizes engagement with other nations to raise popular forces and the latter solely relies on states.”

“How the US Iranian Regional Security Strategies Siverge.” Seyed Hossein Mousavian, March 22, 2019, Al-Monitor.

Articles, Media, Media Coverage, Publications, مقاله ها

Tehran and US’ Pullout From Syria

Posted on January 2, 2019

“In an article published in ‘Donya-e Eqtesda’ newspaper, Mousavian wrote that Trump baffled the world by pulling out the US forces from Syria with world countries showing adverse reactions: Moscow had a hard time believing it; Tehran exercised self-restraint; Ankara grasped the opportunity offered by the new conditions to achieve its goals in Syria…”

Tehran and US Pullout from Syria, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, January 2, 2019. IRNA

The Iran Project

Articles, Publications, مقاله ها

The Strategic Disaster of Leaving the Iran Deal

Posted on May 13, 2018

“Trump’s decision undoes the signature foreign policy achievement of his predecessor, Barack Obama, and represents an affront to the United States’ European allies, which had strongly lobbied the Trump administration to remain in the deal. But the more enduring impact will be in Tehran, where Trump’s nixing of the JCPOA—and Europe’s response—will push Iran’s leaders to move decisively into the camp of the United States’ geopolitical rivals. It will also shift the policy debate among Iran’s elites, who have for several years argued over the merits of dialogue with the United States. Now, that debate is settled. Iran has learned that negotiating with Washington is a dead end. Instead, it will seek to strengthen its ties with non-Western powers, including China and Russia.”

“The Strategic Disaster of Leaving the Iran Deal,” Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Foreign Affairs, May 10, 2018.

Articles, Publications, مقاله ها

What to expect if Trump undoes the Iran nuclear deal

Posted on September 18, 2017

“Because Trump has put the deal in his crosshairs, advocates of diplomatic engagement with the West in Iran are being discredited. If he goes ahead with his stated wish to undo it, a domestic consensus will form not to trust, negotiate or cooperate with the United States on any future issue.”

“What to expect if Trump undoes the Iran nuclear deal,” Seyed Hossein Mousavian, The Los Angeles Times, September 14, 2017.

Articles, Publications, مقاله ها

Understanding Iranian threat perceptions

Posted on August 2, 2017

“At its root, the underlying reason behind misconstrued perceptions of Iran’s foreign policy intentions is the lack of dialogue between regional powers. As things stand, there are no fora for regional powers to communicate their concerns and grievances to one another. Instead, rival states resort to self-serving narratives to gain influence in the realm of public opinion.”

“Understanding Iranian threat perceptions,” Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Al Monitor, July 14, 2017.

Articles, Publications

America’s Attitude Toward Iran Risks Shifting Tehran’s East-West Balance Toward Russia

Posted on October 23, 2016

Given its civilizational history, during most of which it played a leading role in the region, Iran will undoubtedly continue to be a major regional power. Its foreign policy will also continue to be based on the tenet of “neither East nor West.” That said, Iran’s success in maintaining this policy rests on its ability to balance its relations with the major Eastern and Western powers ― in this case the United States and Russia.

“America’s Attitude Toward Iran Risks Shifting Tehran’s East-West Balance Toward Russia,” Seyed Hossein Mousavian, The Huffington Post, October 13, 2016.