Zarif Knows US Administration and Americans Well

Mr. Rohani has nominated Dr. Zarif for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. How capable is Dr. Zarif, in your opinion, to hold this position?

Dr. Zarif has the necessary capabilities to hold this position under the present conditions. Firstly, he is a prominent personality with regard to knowledge in the area of foreign policy. If he becomes the foreign minister, he would be the first to have studied in this field and been active in this field. Furthermore, he has great experience in this area and has been active in foreign policy since many years ago and has held critical positions.

How would you describe Dr. Zarif’s strong points?

His strong point is his knowledge of the world and the fact that the world knows him. Zarif has an accurate and correct understanding of today’s world and has a realistic assessment of the arrangement of power and global poles. Zarif knows the world and this is an important advantage which cannot easily be achieved. Besides, he is a well-known personality in the international community due to his years of political activity. He is particularly well-known in US society.

One of the most significant issues facing Iran’s foreign policy is the issue of the sanctions, especially the sanctions adopted by the US. It seems that the issue of Iran-US relations and its resolution or at least the reduction of the existing problems between the two countries is one of the issues which the future minister will be faced with. How capable is Dr. Zarif in this regard?

Incidentally, one of the strong points of Dr. Zarif is his knowledge of US society. Zarif is a recognized diplomat in the public sphere and among the people of the US, because he has been present in US media. There are not many non-American diplomats who have been present in US media. Zarif’s knowledge of the English language and western culture has given him the confidence and ability to participate in TV programs that have a high number of viewers and defend the positions of the Islamic Republic without provoking negative views.

Furthermore, he has established delicate relations with the US elite. This relation is not limited to the political elite, think tanks, journalists, and media activists; he also has good relations with the artistic and scientific elite of US society as well.

If Mr. Zarif gains the vote of confidence of the Parliament and starts his work as the foreign minister, what would, in your opinion, his priorities be in this ministry?

Iran’s nuclear dossier is obviously the most important issue which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is faced with, because other issues such as our relations with our neighbors and Arab countries, sanctions, relations with Europe,… are all tied to this issue. I hope that the nuclear dossier would be returned to the Foreign Ministry from the High Council of National Security. Iran’s nuclear program must be desecuritized. Perhaps the most difficult task of the government is the resolution of Iran’s nuclear case. Iran-P5+1 negotiations must improve with an accurate planning and timing and we must reach an understanding in this regard. Thus, breaking the international consensus and making progress in comprehensive negotiations with the P5+1 is the most important priority of Dr. Zarif.

What would you suggest to Dr. Zarif for him to succeed in the affairs of the Foreign Ministry?

I believe that besides the state-state diplomacy, the nation-state and nation-nation diplomacies must also be seriously considered. Therefore, the future foreign minister of Iran must plan for public diplomacy and perhaps it would be better for a deputy for public diplomacy to be appointed, whose task would be the mobilization of all peace-seeking forces to Iran’s benefit.

Furthermore, nation-nation diplomacy must also be considered by the future foreign minister. It means that the possibility of the visits of foreign elites to the country must be provided and Iranian elites and those of other countries must be able to establish relations with each other without any security concerns and limitations. The Iranians who reside outside the country can play a very significant role in this regard.