President Masoud Pezeshkian led a diplomatic delegation to New York, where he will participate in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly and deliver a speech. The Iranian president's presence at the U.N. assembly is always a major topic of discussion in the final weeks of September and early October. This trip, with all its dimensions, has drawn significant attention from domestic and foreign media due to the current relationship and challenges between Iran and some Western countries.
Influential regional and international trends
Masoud Pezeshkian, is the seventh president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who travels to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, the largest gathering of world leaders. Each of Iran's presidents has faced challenges during their appearances at the assembly, and Pezeshkian will be no exception. He arrives in the United States at a time when Iran's relations with the West, particularly the US, remain one of the country's main foreign policy challenges.
Iran's relations with the West have been complicated in recent years, making it difficult to predict future trends. Currently, Iran's relations with the West are entangled with three major issues: The Ukraine war, the Gaza conflict, and the nuclear talks.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has disrupted many global equations. Europe and the US, which initially supported Ukraine's bid to join NATO, are now seeking to blame someone for the crisis and their failure to counter Russia. In the meantime, Iran's military ties with Russia have been used as a pretext by Europe to make baseless claims that Tehran has sent drones and ballistic missiles to Russia.
As a result, relations between Europe and Iran have reached their lowest point, and it seems that this chill will continue as long as the West's united front against Russia fails. Despite Iran's repeated assertions that it has not and will not intervene in the Ukraine war, the reality is that Iran's relations with Europe are being affected by the conflict and its aftermath.
Despite the challenging circumstances, a meeting between Iran's President and European officials during his trip to New York could help create a better understanding that Iran is not seeking to play a role in the Ukraine crisis.
The Gaza conflict has added another layer of complexity to the already complicated relationship between Iran and the West, particularly with regards to the indirect talks between Tehran and Washington on lifting sanctions. Since October 7, America's main strategic ally in the region has been embroiled in an unprecedented security crisis, with over 40,000 Muslims killed and Iran's strategic ally in the region, Hezbollah, threatened. Israel killed Iran’s important guest Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and injured its ambassador in Beirut.
The crisis, which both Iran and the US blame each other for, has created significant obstacles to the indirect talks between the two countries on lifting sanctions.
In this context, even if the indirect talks between Iran and the US resume, it's unlikely that they will make significant progress. The Israeli regime has a long history of derailing peace efforts in the region and the world, and its actions in Gaza have created a stalemate in many regional and global equations.
The United States, which claims to be seeking stability, faces a tough challenge in achieving this goal, given that its ally has consistently disregarded international law and human rights.
The third challenge facing Iran's relations with the West is the negotiations to lift sanctions, which are linked to the country's dealings with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
It is clear that this issue is no longer a top priority for the West due to various reasons, including the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, which have become the main security concerns for the US and Europe.
Iran's relations with the IAEA, which the West has tried to use as a tool for political pressure, have been stalled due to the strained ties between Iran and the West. Despite Iran's close cooperation with the agency, progress has been blocked by a political impasse created by the US and Europe.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi recently expressed concerns about Iran's nuclear program, despite the fact that Tehran had been committed to the 2015 nuclear deal until the US withdrew in 2019.
Iran has repeatedly emphasized the peaceful nature of its nuclear program and has shown extensive cooperation with the IAEA, which has been acknowledged in the agency's reports.
It is up to the IAEA to pursue Iran's case in a non-political manner, based on technical and legal facts. The three main issues affecting Iran-West relations are complex, but it is not impossible to find a way to manage tensions.
What to expect from New York?
Following an unwritten but established tradition, Iranian presidents have consistently conveyed a specific idea or message in their public speeches at the United Nations, tailored to the current domestic and international circumstances. Consequently, Iranian President’s inaugural appearance in New York and his maiden speech as Iran's president will undoubtedly attract numerous audiences worldwide. Although the main focus of the President's speech at the UN General Assembly remains unclear, it appears that Pezeshkian will likely emphasize tolerance alongside authority in his address.
Since taking office, President has sought to convey to both domestic and international audiences that confrontation is not the solution. If framed correctly within the three pillars of Iranian diplomacy - dignity, wisdom, and expediency - this concept can help reduce external pressures while promoting Iran's national interests and authority on the world stage.
Ending European claims of Iranian missile and drone shipments to Russia in the Ukraine war, encouraging the global community to prevent the continuation of the ongoing atrocities in Gaza, and adopting a technical approach to Iran's nuclear file instead of a political one are three goals that can make the situation acceptable for Iran both domestically and internationally.
The time and place for achieving these goals will not be September 23 and 24 in New York, but the President's presence in New York and utilization of the opportunities presented by this limited trip can be seen as a starting point for achieving these goals, provided the West is genuinely committed to reducing tensions with Iran, as emphasized in political rhetoric. The sum of existing challenges and realities indicates that the president's trip to New York and participation in the UN General Assembly is more likely to highlight the need to address the knots in relations with the West rather than untangling them.
NOURNEWS