President-elect of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian has said in a written message that under his leadership, Iran will pursue an opportunity-driven foreign policy.
It will achieve this by creating balance in relations with all countries – consistent with its national interests, economic development, and requirements of regional and global peace and security.
Pezeshkian is set to officially become the Iran’s ninth president with his swearing-in ceremony in the parliament, or Majlis, on July 30.
The trained heart surgeon defeating Saeed Jalili in the runoff of the presidential election. He was considered the most moderate of officially sanctioned candidates.
In “My message to the new world,” he began by touching on what he called Iran’s extraordinary stability amid conflict and volatility in the region by conducting orderly and peaceful elections.
"This stability, and the dignified manner in which the elections were conducted, underscore the discernment of our Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and the dedication of our people to democratic transition of power even in the face of adversity," he wrote.
Pezeshkian emphasised his government would safeguard the nation's national dignity under all circumstances and that its foreign policy would be based on "dignity, wisdom, and prudence," which he would strive to formulate and execute.
He promised that his government would pursue a strategy of striking a balance in relations with all nations in a way consistent with Iran's national interests, economic progress, and the requirements of regional and global peace and security.
"We will welcome sincere efforts to alleviate tensions and will reciprocate good faith with good faith," Pezeshkian said.
Pezeshkian said Israel is an apartheid regime with a decades-long record of occupation, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, settlement-building, nuclear weapons possession, illegal annexation, and aggression against its neighbours.
“We must then diligently work to end the prolonged occupation that has devastated the lives of four generations of Palestinians,” he said. “In this context, I want to emphasise that all states have a binding duty under the 1948 Genocide Convention to take measures to prevent genocide; not to reward it through normalisation of relations with the perpetrator.
Pezeskhian said Iran is eager to collaborate with Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and regional organizations. Iran aims to deepen economic ties, bolster trade relations, promote joint-venture investment, tackle common challenges, and work towards establishing a regional framework for dialogue, confidence-building, and development based on the principles of Iran’s foreign policy.
He also expressed appreciation to China and Russia for consistently standing by Iran during challenging times.
In 2023, China played a pivotal role in facilitating the normalisation of Iran’s relations with Saudi Arabia, demonstrating its constructive vision and forward-thinking approach to international affairs, Pezeshkian said.
He called Russia is a valued strategic ally and neighbour, saying his administration will remain committed to expanding and enhancing our cooperation. “Iran strives for peace for the people of Russia and Ukraine, and my government will stand prepared to actively support initiatives aimed at achieving this objective” he said.
“I will continue to prioritise bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Russia, particularly within frameworks such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Eurasia Economic Union,” Pezeshkian said.
The president-elect expressed his commitment to fostering mutually beneficial relations with emerging international players in the Global South, particularly African nations. He said existing ties between Iran and Latin America will be closely maintained and deepened to foster development, dialogue and cooperation in all fields.
Concerning Europe, he said he said he looks forward to engaging in constructive dialogue with European countries to set the relations on the right path, based on principles of mutual respect and equal footing.
He emphasised that Iran’s defence doctrine does not include nuclear weapons, and urged the United States to learn from past miscalculations and adjust its policy accordingly. “Decisionmakers in Washington need to recognise that a policy consisting of pitting regional countries against each other has not succeeded and will not succeed in the future.
The US deliberately chose to escalate hostilities by waging not only an economic war against Iran but also engaging in state terrorism by assassinating General Qassem Soleimani, a global anti-terrorism hero. He is known for his success in saving the people of our region from the scourge of ISIS and other ferocious terrorist groups. Today, the world is witnessing the harmful consequences of that US choice.
Indeed, the US and its Western allies have abused the non-proliferation regime to fabricate a crisis regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear programme, openly contradicting their own intelligence assessment. They are using it to continue to support the nuclear weapons of Israel, an apartheid regime, a compulsive aggressor and a non-NPT member and a known possessor of an illegal nuclear arsenal.
I wish to emphasise that Iran’s defence doctrine does not include nuclear weapons and urge the United States to learn from past miscalculations and adjust its policy accordingly. Decision-makers in Washington need to recognise that a policy that consists of pitting regional countries against each other has not succeeded and will not succeed in the future. They need to come to terms with this reality and avoid exacerbating current tensions, he said.
Pezeshkian said the Iranian people have entrusted him with a strong mandate to vigorously pursue constructive engagement on the international stage, while insisting on Iranian rights, dignity and its deserved role in the region and the world.
“I deeply value their trust and am fully committed to cultivating consensus, both domestically and internationally, to uphold the promises I made during my campaign. “I extend an open invitation to those willing to join us in this historic endeavour,” he added.
The writer is Iran’s president-elect