Abbas Araqchi, a former nuclear negotiator, vows to pursue removal of sanctions

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's pick for foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, says pursuing the "dignified and honorable" removal of sanctions will be a priority of the Foreign Ministry if his appointment is approved by the Parliament.

On the second day of debates in the Iranian Parliament on President Pezeshkian’s proposed list of ministers on Sunday, Araqchi presented and defended his main priorities, including ways to deal with the sanctions against Iran.

He said plans to remove sanctions will be pursued in coordination with Iranian lawmakers, adding that any decision will be made based on consensus and common understanding.

He emphasized that Iran will not tolerate rushed or attritional negotiations regarding the lifting of sanctions.

The new Iranian administration’s foreign policy will be based on preparing the ground for increasing the country’s wealth, power and dignity, Araqchi, a former nuclear negotiator, pointed out.

The negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear deal – officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- began in April 2021, three years after the US unilaterally withdrew from the UNSC-endorsed agreement and began to target Iran’s economy with tough economic sanctions.

Iran has criticized the lack of will on the side of the US and the E3 to revive the deal and has ramped up its nuclear activities in response to their non-compliance.

Tehran began to gradually remove a cap set in the JCPOA on its nuclear activities at bi-monthly intervals. At the time, Iran also maintained that if the Iranian economy was shielded from sanctions, it would reverse its nuclear decision.

Iran will improve ties with neighbors, Europe

Elsewhere in his address to the Iranian lawmakers, Araqchi said he would vigorously pursue the policy of good neighborliness and would try to seize great economic and political opportunities to improve productive relations with the neighboring countries.

The president’s pick for foreign minister said Iran prioritizes relations with countries such as Russia and China which stood by Iran “during tough times and sanctions”.

He added that the improvement of ties with emerging powers in Africa, Latin America and East Asia is among other priorities of his ministry.

“If Europe corrects its wrong and hostile behavior towards the Islamic Republic of Iran, it will be on our priority list,” Araqchi emphasized.

He said Iran will pursue the policy of "hostility management" and not “cessation of hostility” in ties with the United States.

He also reiterated Iran’s unwavering and full support for the Palestinian cause and Lebanon’s resistance as well as other resistance movements which are fighting the cruel and criminal policies of the Israeli regime.

Araqchi noted that the next Iranian administration will use all its political and diplomatic capacities to introduce the objectives of the resistance to the world and gain the support of the regional countries.

Pezeshkian calls for national consensus as parliament begins debating cabinet lineup

Iran’s Parliament has officially started reviewing the qualifications of proposed ministers in the new administration.

Iran’s Parliament on Saturday officially started reviewing the qualifications of proposed ministers in the new administration, with President Pezeshkian underscoring the importance of maintaining unity and cohesion among the three branches of government to resolve the country’s problems.

The Iranian president submitted the list of his new cabinet members to the Parliament on August 11, less than two weeks after he was sworn in before the country’s legislators. Araqchi and Abdolnaser Hemmati are the most well-known figures on his list.

Pezeshkian’s cabinet lineup has ruffled the feathers of many individuals in the Reformist camp but he has defended his proposed ministers and has called on critics to “wait for the cabinet to start work and criticize it based on its performance.”

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