Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, Aug. 16, 2019 – The state-run Arman daily in Iran is voicing new concerns about the consequences of the United States’ decision to sanction the mullahs’ Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
“What is currently witnessed in the political atmosphere across the globe is that many international figures and entities no longer recognize our government and the Foreign Ministry as the entity behind Iran’s foreign policy apparatus. To a large extent they have reached the conclusion that they should only engage with the main people in power in regards to regional and international collaborations,” the article reads.
“Inside the country, there is a certain type of extremism in issues related to Zarif and a certain effort is creating a climate of pressure on him, and as a result, on the diplomatic apparatus,” the article concluded.
Hamdeli, another state-run daily, also wrote a piece on the regime’s foreign policy crisis.
“In the current circumstances, the decision-making apparatus can push the country into a security crisis. The improper distribution of decision-making powers… will prevent any significant development in foreign policy. This is despite fundamental differences between presidents and governments,” the article argues.
“Based on the authorities provided by the constitution to [regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei] alone, the important foreign policy decisions are directly or indirectly on his shoulders. There will be no fundamental policy changes without [Khamenei’s] consent,” the article concludes.
Hossein Mousavian, former Iranian ambassador to Germany, also weighed in on this sensitive matter.
“The [state] has lost its hope in the ‘policy of collaboration and engagement with the West’… If [U.S. President Donald] Trump continues the current policies, there will be no chance for negotiations. If he wins a second round, the result of this process will be catastrophic. By destroying the 2015 nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – JCPOA), he sought to destroy Obama’s legacy. However, he is aiming to obtain a new deal as the ‘Trump Legacy,’” he explained.
