Original title: The new Iranian president asks the West to lift all sanctions. The United States: Negotiations will not continue indefinitely
[Global Times Special Correspondent in Iran and Egypt Bao Xiaolong Huang Peizhao Global Times Special Correspondent Zhen Xiang]Iranian President-elect Leahy was sworn in in Parliament on the 5th and delivered a speech on domestic and foreign policy. The media in Europe, America and the Middle East are paying close attention to this. There is a view that after Leahy takes office, Iran will usher in an era of “tougher”, and its economic and foreign policies may usher in major changes.
“All sanctions on Iran must be lifted”
Leahy said at the inauguration ceremony that Western countries must lift sanctions against Iran, and Tehran supports all diplomatic mechanisms that help lift sanctions, but will not succumb to pressure. According to Iranian media reports, the new president emphasized that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful, and pressure and sanctions will not prevent the Iranian people from pursuing their legal rights, including the right to development.
Leahy said that he recognizes the many challenges facing Iran, especially the economic difficulties, and will go all out to improve the living standards of the Iranian people. In terms of regional policy, the new Iranian president said that he extended “hands of friendship and brotherhood” to all countries in the region, especially neighboring countries. He said that Iran is an important force for regional peace and stability and will focus on developing relations with neighboring countries in the future. Regional crises must be resolved through genuine intra-regional dialogue. It is worth noting that representatives of Saudi Arabia, an ally of the United States and Iran’s former enemy, attended the inauguration of Leahy that day. Since April this year, Yisha has been holding talks in Iraq aimed at improving relations between the two countries. Leahy recently stated that the embassies of Iran and Saudi Arabia in each other’s countries may reopen.
Leahy will submit a list of cabinet members to the Iranian parliament next week. According to the New York Times, according to the “list leaked to the local media” by the Iranian government, key positions such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense will be held by people close to the intelligence and security agencies and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Facing multiple challenges
Many dignitaries attended Leahy’s inauguration ceremony, including high-level delegations from the European Union. Leahy takes office at a critical moment, and Iran is facing multiple crises. The “Middle East Online” news network published an article on the 6th, saying that in terms of diplomacy, the six rounds of negotiations on the resumption of the Iran nuclear agreement have reached a deadlock and have failed to achieve major results. Iran still faces sanctions and is increasingly isolated and suppressed by the United States. severe. Soon after Leahy made his inauguration speech, Price, the spokesperson of the US State Department, called to Iran to urge Tehran to return to negotiations. Price said that the US message to the new Iranian president is that the US will defend and promote the security interests of itself and its allies, and “permanently and verifiably” ensure that Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons. He expressed the hope that Iran will seize the opportunity to advance the current diplomatic solution, “negotiations will not continue indefinitely, and the opportunity for the two sides to jointly resume compliance will not exist forever.”
Leahy also faces a maritime conflict between Iran and Israel. According to Qatar Al Jazeera, an Israeli company-operated oil tanker was attacked recently and two crew members were killed. Western countries such as Israel, Britain and the United States believe that Iran is behind the attack. Israeli Defense Minister Gantz said on Thursday that the country’s military is ready to take action against Iran. The spokesperson of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned on the 5th that any “stupid actions” against Iran by Israel will receive a firm response.
Agence France-Presse stated that US sanctions have blocked Iran’s oil exports, and Iran’s economy shrank by more than 6% in 2018 and 2019. Iran is also fighting the new crown pneumonia epidemic. More than 4 million people have been infected with the virus and more than 93,000 people have died across the country. According to the “Wall Street Journal” report, due to dissatisfaction with the country’s continued deterioration of economic conditions, demonstrations have taken place in many places in Iran.
Economic and foreign policy may undergo major changes
Western media generally believe that Leahy’s rise to power indicates that Iran’s domestic and foreign policies will become tougher. “The Wall Street Journal” reported that Leahy’s assumption of office marked the first time in many years that all power departments in Iran would be under the control of hardliners. This may lead to major changes in Iran’s pattern over the past 30 years. CNN emphasized that the new Iranian president is supported by a majority of members of the parliament, which will enable him to quickly push for legislation.
CNN further analyzed that Iran’s economic policy may undergo fundamental changes. Former Iranian President Rouhani is keen to open up investment to foreign countries, but Leahy agrees with the concept of a “resistance economy”. It seeks to make Iran’s economy independent of external forces, so that it can better withstand the impact of international sanctions, while striving to cultivate its own industry.
Tehran political analyst Koschem believes that Rouhani’s foreign policy is focused on reaching an Iran nuclear agreement, which marginalizes Iran’s relations with other countries. Hussein Amir Abdullahian, the foreign affairs adviser to the speaker of the Iranian parliament, may be Iran’s new foreign minister. He stated that Iran will adopt a foreign policy that takes all countries into consideration, a policy that can guarantee the rights of Iranians in all aspects.Return to Sohu to see more
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