“Sustainable peace and security require good bilateral relations and regional cooperation between Tehran and Riyadh. Iran and Saudi Arabia have significant differences, but they share common interests in many critical issues, such as energy security, nuclear nonproliferation, and Middle East stability.”
It’s Time for the Leaders of Saudi Arabia and Iran to Talk; Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Abdulaziz Sager, May 14, 2019. New York Times.
“If the United States is serious about its war on terrorism, it needs to stop politicizing security and draw on past experiences. If it does so, it’ll realize that Iran is the indispensable partner in the fight against terrorism—if the eradication of terrorism is, indeed, what the United States wants.”
Iran: An Indispensable Ally In The War On Terrorism; Seyed Hossein Mousavaian & Reza Nasri, May 7, 2019. Lobe Log
“With tensions between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia at the brink, a rare dialogue recently took place between two former senior Saudi and Iranian officials. Hosted by the Center for Strategic Studies at the Joint Special Operations University in Tampa, Florida, former Saudi Ambassador to the United States and Director General of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence agency Prince Turki al Faisal debated Ambassador Hossein Mousavian, a former spokesman for Iran’s nuclear negotiators and chairman of the foreign policy committee of Iran’s National Security Council. The lively discussion touched on each country’s view of its security environment and the broader issues affecting the Iran-Saudi relationship. LobeLog has obtained the full transcript of the conversation, and the following is an abbreviated excerpt covering the key points.”
“A Saudi-Iranian Dialogue On Regional Security,” Seyed Hossein Mousavian, LobeLog, April 23, 2018.
Contrary to the Trump administration’s claim that Iran is destabilizing the region and pursuing hegemony, Iran has in fact been a victim of regional instability—which has largely been a legacy of U.S. policies—and has legitimate security threats and needs. As one Iranian military officer has said, roughly 60 percent of Iran’s border are “not controlled by the neighboring country.”
“The Real Security Threats on Iran’s Periphery,” Seyed Hossein Mousavian, LobeLog, June 30, 2017.
Mousavian rejects the accusations of Pres. Donald Trump that Iran supports terrorism in the Middle East, arguing that they are both fighting the same enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan. The same two countries have accused Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, respectively, of sponsoring terrorism.
“Iran’s Next Challenges,” Red Dirt Report, June 16, 2017.
“The reality is that the Tehran attacks highlight the common threat faced by nations across the world from groups such as ISIS. Whether in San Bernardino, London, Paris, Baghdad, Kabul or the heart of Iran, innocent people everywhere are in the same boat in the face of this barbarity. Iran, seemingly unbeknownst to Trump, has since its 1979 revolution been a chief victim of both terrorism and state violence.”
“Tehran Terrorist Attacks Risk Unleashing All-Out War Between Iran And Saudi Arabia,” Seyed Hossein Mousavian, The Huffington Post, June 8, 2017.
“The reality is that even if Saudi claims are accurate and Persian Gulf countries are concerned about Iran’s supposed quest for hegemony, after Iran these same countries are also concerned about Saudi attempts to establish hegemony in the Persian Gulf.”
“Fmr. diplomat: Regional dilemmas should be solved through dialogue,” Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Yassin El-Ayouty, IRNA, June 7, 2017.
“US President Donald Trump’s landmark speech in Saudi Arabia May 21 signals a reversal of policy from the Barack Obama administration and will ratchet up tensions with Iran. A day after a record-breaking 42 million Iranians signaled their desire to engage the world by re-electing President Hassan Rouhani, Trump appeared in an autocratic monarchy to call on “nations of conscience” to “isolate” Iran … Given Trump’s apparent strategy, there are at least seven perils the United States could and should avoid.”
“7 perils of Trump’s attempt to isolate Iran,” Al Monitor, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, May 22, 2017.
