WANA (Feb 08) – Iran’s foreign minister warned that the international order is sliding back toward a logic of power and coercion, saying that in a world where pressure has replaced law, any retreat can turn into an endless process. He stressed that the only way to navigate this situation is through steadfastness, combined with smart diplomacy and strong domestic consensus.

 

Speaking on Sunday, February 8, at a specialized panel of Iran’s National Congress on Foreign Policy, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi offered a blunt assessment of ongoing shifts in international relations, arguing that many long-standing principles of international law and global governance are being fundamentally altered.

 

Araghchi pointed to what he described as a renewed U.S. approach based on the doctrine of “peace through force,” saying the world is witnessing the return of a concept that defines peace not as a just outcome for all nations, but as the imposition of the will of powerful states on others.

 

“When ‘peace through force’ is invoked,” he said, “it means achieving what I want by force, not a peace that is fair to other countries.”

 

According to the Iranian foreign minister, in previous decades the United States at least sought to cloak its actions in the framework of international law—through UN Security Council resolutions or multinational coalitions—to lend legitimacy to its use of force. Today, he argued, even those legal and institutional justifications are being discarded, replaced by the open logic of power politics. He described this shift as a “return to the law of the jungle,” where weaker states are trampled and stronger ones dictate outcomes.

 

In such an environment, Araghchi said, becoming stronger is not a choice for Iran but a necessity. One of the key elements of strength, he added, is the capacity to resist pressure.

 

“If military fleets are deployed around you and you immediately say, ‘All right, what do you want me to give you?’ then the game is over,” he warned. “And there is no telling where that retreat will end.”

 

He emphasized that resistance does not mean acting irrationally or recklessly. Rather, it must be combined with prudence, strategic thinking, and what he described as “smart diplomacy.” Still, he cautioned that fear is “a deadly poison” under such conditions, and that concessions made out of fear rarely have an endpoint.

 

Turning to Iran’s nuclear file and relations with the United States, Araghchi challenged the common narrative about hostility between Iran and the West. The real question, he argued, is why the United States harbors what he called “extreme hostility” toward Iran.

 

Recalling years of direct negotiations, he said Iran engaged extensively in diplomacy, leading to the 2015 nuclear agreement, which was widely welcomed internationally. “We implemented the deal, but the United States withdrew from it,” he said. “Was that Iran’s fault?”

 

He also noted that even during more recent talks, Iran was targeted militarily in the midst of negotiations. In his view, the core issue is Washington’s inability to tolerate a country that insists on defending its rights and refusing to yield under pressure.

 

Araghchi said that over the past year, Iran has faced maximum pressure, repeated sanctions, regional conflicts, and even attempts at destabilization that he described as externally orchestrated. Despite this, he argued, these efforts failed to achieve their objectives, eventually forcing the United States back to the negotiating table—though he stressed that the outcome of current talks remains uncertain.

 

Reiterating Iran’s lack of trust in Washington, the foreign minister warned of the possibility of renewed deception. He underlined that the country must not tie its governance or future to the success or failure of negotiations. All institutions—from the military to the government and economic bodies—must continue to function independently of diplomatic talks, he said.

 

In the final part of his remarks, Araghchi turned to domestic cohesion, describing it as a decisive factor in foreign policy success. A coherent and effective foreign policy, he said, requires a unified national voice. While the Foreign Ministry pursues diplomacy abroad, it must also engage internally—with parliament, the media, and political currents—to explain policies and address legitimate concerns.

 

“If multiple and conflicting voices emerge from within the country,” he warned, “foreign policy will inevitably be weakened.”

 

Concluding his speech, Araghchi identified “steadfastness” as Iran’s greatest current challenge—one that rests on the shoulders of the armed forces, the government, economic institutions, and the diplomatic apparatus alike. Expressing confidence in Iran’s political leadership and strategic direction, he said he remains optimistic that the country can navigate this critical period with strength.

 

Iran’s National Congress on Foreign Policy and the History of Foreign Relations is being held over two days at the Institute for Political and International Studies, bringing together diplomats and academics to examine Iran’s foreign relations and the evolving international system.

 

Iran: Military Pressure Won’t Change Our Course

WANA (Feb 08) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remains firmly committed to diplomacy while maintaining full defensive readiness, stressing that military pressure or threats will not alter Iran’s strategic calculations.   Speaking at Iran’s National Congress on Foreign Policy, Araghchi said the current military posture of rival forces in the region […]

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