New Iran president’s entourage in NY signals Iran preparing to negotiate

Veteran diplomats Javad Zarif and former nuclear negotiators accompanying new Iran president Masoud Pezeshkian on his debut trip to UN in NY suggest Iran positioning itself to negotiate.

New York __Perhaps the main take-away from the first visit of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to New York for the United Nations General Assembly this week was the diplomatic entourage he brought with him. It most notably includes veteran diplomat, former Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who is serving as an advisor to Pezeshkian, as well as Zarif’s former deputies who played key roles in negotiating the 2016 Iran nuclear deal, Abbas Araghchi, now foreign minister, and Majid Ravanchi, now deputy foreign minister for political affairs. All of whom were present at a meeting Pezeshkian held with journalists in New York this morning, which Diplomatic attended.

The message the Iranian diplomatic entourage suggested is that Iran is trying to best position itself to renew diplomacy with the west when the other side is ready. Six weeks before the US presidential elections, it seems unlikely that the Biden administration will try to pursue direct negotiations with the new Iranian team. But it seems plausible that the entourage may have a chance to speak with expert contacts and perhaps some former officials to update each other on how they are thinking and help lay the groundwork for future talks when a new U.S. president takes office.

Pezeshkian, speaking in Persian with translation into English provided through an ear piece that made it hard to record, emphasized that Iran hopes to get back to the negotiating table, and is not seeking instability.   

“Vis a vis the JCPOA, we said 100 times we are willing to live up to our agreements,” he said. “We do hope we can sit at the table and hold discussions” to help bolster “peace and security” in the world.

He complained that Israel has several times conducted actions that could provoke escalation, such as when it assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh when Haniyeh was attending Pezeshkian’s inauguration in Tehran in July. And that western parties, including the United States, have called mostly on Iran to show restraint.

Pezeshkian, without specifying who “they” were, spoke of them urging Iran not to retaliate because a Gaza ceasefire deal was maybe just a week away. But no ceasefire deal has materialized.

Meantime, he noted, Israel is escalating the conflict with Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, with the U.S. to date mostly providing diplomatic cover for the Israeli escalation.

“Terrorism is terrorism,” he said.

“Let’s create the situation where we can co-exist,” he said. “Let’s try to resolve tensions through dialogue.”

“We are willing to put all of our weapons aside so long as Israel will do the same,” he said noting that Iran is a signatory to the nuclear Non Proloferation Treaty, while, Israel, which has nuclear weapons, is not, and according to him, threatens Iran with their potential use.

“Let’s come together to bring peace and security,” he said. “We do not have territorial ambitions within anyone else’s borders.”

Photo caption: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (center), accompanied by Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (left), and former Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarid (right), speaks at a meeting with journalists in New York on Sept. 23, 2024. Photo credir: Mehr.

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