In order to trace down the current state of affairs in the Middle East—where a whole host of menaces ranging from terrorism, civil wars, and unrepresentative regimes are hallmarks of its politics—we need to have a thorough observation of the historical intricacies that have brought about this situation.
“Ambassador Mousavian on Iranian Foreign Policy and Its Challenges,” Foreign Policy Concepts, November 12, 2015.
.
“Nuclear deal and Iran’s future as regional power,” The Chautauqua Institute, August 21, 2015.
Coverage: “Kiyaei, Mousavian discuss nuclear deal and Iran’s future as regional power,” Sam Flynn, The Chautauquan Daily, August 22, 2015.
Archrivals Saudi Arabia and Iran are experiencing their first regional talks in Vienna on the Syrian conflict. Since assuming office in August 2013, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has initiated several overtures to Saudi Arabia, attempting to mend what has steadily devolved into a dangerously adversarial relationship in the years since the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
Rouhani, who called for better ties with Saudi Arabia shortly after his inauguration, made his first diplomatic outreach to Saudi Arabia at a critical juncture. He dispatched his foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, to visit several of the Arab Persian Gulf states shortly after the November 2013 interim nuclear deal was reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations.
“Why Bridging the Iran-Saudi Divide Is Vital for Peace in Syria and the Region,” Hossein Mousavian, The Huffington Post, October 30, 2015.
“Is Iran too Aggressive in the Middle East? Joshua Landis interviews Hussein Mousavian,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, University of Oklahoma, September 16, 2015. (Video)
“Iran & the US – Beyond the Nuclear Deal,” Rotary Club of Oklahoma City, September 8, 2015. (Video)
The relationship between Iran and its southern Arab neighbors — namely, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states — has been turbulent for the past few decades. The GCC states were under the shadow of Iraq and Iran, the two prevailing powers in the Persian Gulf, for much of the 20th century, with the latter historically being the more dominant power. Stricken with internal disputes, weak central governments and rivalries among themselves, the Arab states along the Persian Gulf’s southern coast were never in a position to challenge the powers to their north.
The situation changed after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, which brought political Islam to the geopolitical scene. The autocratic Persian Gulf monarchies immediately felt threatened by this new political force, which had the potential to undermine their legitimacy and jeopardize their rule. Within this context, in 1981 they established the GCC, comprised of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980 had provided a convenient excuse to exclude Iraq and Yemen, notable omissions even though the latter does not border on the Persian Gulf, and Iraq has close to 40 miles of coastline.
“What Obama should say to King Salman during his visit,” Hossein Mousavian, Al Monitor, September 4, 2015.
The comprehensive nuclear agreement reached between Iran and six world powers represents a milestone achievement for the cause of global peace and security. Such a diplomatic resolution to a long-running dispute between rival powers has only rarely occurred in history. With this historic deal at hand, the dawn of a new age of relations between Iran and the United States is within sight.
The morphing of the Iranian nuclear dispute into a zero-sum battle in which war seemed an inevitability, coupled with the presence of prudent leadership in Tehran and Washington that understood this reality, spurred the diplomatic approach that led to this deal. This roughly 100-page agreement, meticulously crafted by the indefatigable diplomats of Iran and the P5+1, not only averts another catastrophic war in the world’s most volatile region, but sets new non-proliferation standards that can be applied throughout the world.
“If Congress Rejects the Iran Deal, It Would Be a Historic Blunder,” Hossein Mousavian, Huffington Post, August 21, 2015.
“Iran’s nuclear deal,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, BBC, July 14, 2015.
“Iran nuclear deal reached,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Becky Anderson, CNN, July 14, 2015. (Video)
“Iranian Nuclear Negotiations,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Ari Rabin-Havt, SiriusXM, July 13, 2015. (Audio)
