“Iran Says Give Peace a Chance in Syria,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Omid Memarian, The Daily Beast, September 5, 2013.
Tag: Syria
How Iran Might Respond to a US Military Strike on Syria (Audio)
“How Iran Might Respond to a US Military Strike on Syria,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Marco Werman, PRI’s The World, September 3, 2013. (Audio)
Sudden Love USA – Iran (Greek)
“Sudden Love USA – Iran,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Irini Mitropoulou, To Vima, October 1, 2013. (Greek)
Asharq Al Awsat Opinion: Turkey needs to rethink its regional policy
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.
The US with Iran in Syria
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.
Hope From Iran, but Not If There’s an Attack
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.
Drawing a Line on Syria, U.S. Keeps Eye on Iran Policy
“Drawing a Line on Syria, U.S. Keeps Eye on Iran Policy,” Interview with Hossein Mousavian, Robert Worth, New York Times, September 2, 2013.
Sectarian War, the Major Threat to the Middle East
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.
Five Reasons the US Should Stay Out Of Syria
The Syria war and the Iranian nuclear standoff dominate the international agenda, with an urgent need to find a viable solution. The visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi to Damascus and Amman last week revealed that Iran too is giving Syria priority. Salehi met with King Abdullah II of Jordan on May 7 en route to Damascus for meetings with officials there, including President Bashar al-Assad, emphasizing the need for national “Syrian-Syrian” talks to bring an end to the civil war ravaging the Muslim country. Simultaneously, the US Secretary of State John Kerry, looking to put an end to Russian support for Assad in Syria, was met with a cool reception in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin kept Kerry waiting three hours before their meeting at the Kremlin and continuously fiddled with his pen as the top US diplomat spoke about the ongoing crisis in Syria.
“Five Reasons the US Should Stay Out Of Syria,” Hossein Mousavian, Al-Monitor, May 10, 2013.
A Seven-Point Plan to Prevent The Collapse of Syria
Since March 2011, 70,000 Syrian civilians, military, government officials and opposition forces have been killed, 3 million have been displaced and 1.1 million Syrians have become refugees — plunging the country into turmoil and placing the security of the whole region at risk. The Syrian instability is dragging the country toward the throes of all out civil war, sectarian war and ultimately disintegration. If no immediate and robust actions are taken, this process could set into motion a chain of events that would pose a grave threat to the stability of the entire Middle East and beyond.
“A Seven-Point Plan to Prevent The Collapse of Syria”, Hossein Mousavian, Al-Monitor, April 7, 2013.
