Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini was delivering a speech on different aspects of Iran – Pakistan relations at National Defense University in Islamabad.
**Sanctions against Iran
The ambassador said in his speech that contemporary history of Iran is overflowing with the US unilateral and hegemonic interventions.
“Not going too far, you may have heard the name of Ajax Operation in 1953 which during a coup d'état , Americans overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of the then Shah/ King,” he recalled.
He said in another vain attempt, they tried to suppress the 1979 Islamic Revolution and then weaken it when they couldn’t suppress. “Americans have been wrestling with Islamic republic of Iran from its very inception in 1979 and imposing a wide range of prolonged and bothersome difficulties to its believers,” added the envoy.
The ambassador stated securitizing Iran’s Peaceful Nuclear Program and referring it to the UNSC that resulted in intensification of unfair and biased sanctions against my country was the result of their animosity.
“So, Iranians have a negative picture of American interventionism in their internal affairs and suppression of their democratic governments even before the 1979 revolution,” added the diplomat.
He said Iranians perfectly know that Americans always preferred our country to be ruled by their stooges than by an independent administration.
“After 1979 revolution, many options like regime change, proxy wars, terrorist attacks, assassination/martyrdom of Iranian intellectuals and scientists, sanction regimes and so on tried to fail our Islamic- Republican system and force us to succumb to their desire of puppet appointing. And you know that US has pursued intervention strategy in many other parts of the world,” added the envoy.
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the issue of Iran and Iran- policy becomes an important element in US foreign policy and each party (Republicans or Democrats) tried to prove the efficiency of its approach in countering Iran comparing to its rival ones.
“In this context, the imposition of sanctions came to its maximum level during the Presidency of D.Trump – someone who beside his desire for being reelected had a strong commitment to realize Zionists aspirations,” he said.
The envoy added: In the case of nuclear program, during the last decade, Iran tried a lot to prove the peaceful nature of its activities and finally you witnessed that JCPOA (joint comprehensive plan of action) agreement concluded between Iran and all UNSC permanent members+Germany in 2015.
“In JCPOA, all the previous UN sanctions terminated and Iran’s nuclear program defined as a peaceful one. In the importance of this breakthrough, it suffices to say that more than one decade of breathtaking negotiations was dedicated to reach such international agreement, which came to its legal strength with UNSC- Resolution 2231 in 2015,” he said.
Hosseini said unfortunately, by political change in US, the newly elected Republican president unilaterally withdrew its country from JCPOA (besides many other injudicious withdrawals) and denounced it as a fruitless achievement of Democrats.
The envoy noted in the next step, Trump forced other partners to either withdraw or prevent the implementation of JCPOA in coming years.
“By getting closer to the presidential election of the US, Trump administration that considers itself on the verge of failure is looking for turning points to grab more votes to secure his presidency for next round,” he observed.
He said putting further pressure on Iran with the aim of incurring a big change is one of these issues that he and his team are hardly working on it.
“Fortunately and for the sake of Iranian’s strong resistance, USA has faced failure in most of its Iran-policy,” the diplomat viewed.
He noted the recent story of UNSC that in a very humiliating effort, 90 percent of Security Council members didn’t accept US proposal for Extending Arm Embargo on Iran and just the US and one non permanent member of the council supported the resolution is one of these failures.
“Less than one week later, US tried to re-apply the provisions of terminated resolutions under the name of Snapback,” Hosseini said.
He went on to say in an another shaming defeat, none of UNSC permanent members accepted the US bid and the interim president of UNSC announced that Security Council members, including veto-wielding members believe that the United States has no legal standing to enforce the snapback provision, since it is no longer a party to the nuclear agreement.
“So, Trump administration’s lonely insistence on restoring United Nations sanctions against Iran, headed nowhere. This result had many lessons for the US administration to learn but they will continue their wrong path of imposing maximum pressure on Iranians,” added the envoy.
Ambassador Hosseini expressing his views said when Americans are determined to continue the clash in the expense of our regional progress and stability, we as the regional countries should be aware and vigilant to know what to do and what not to do.
“In a short sentence, we need and ought to work together and show collective resistance to an animosity that is not just against Iran (although it is ostensibly against Iran sole) but against the whole region and Islamic countries,” he believed.
The envoy said although Iran’s reaction to such pressures may change from patience to synchronized reciprocal actions, there is one permanent element that will never change in Iranian positions and it’s the Iranian mindset of bully countering and unilateralism resisting.
“If such strong resistance be followed by other Islamic countries, for sure bully will change its approach and will see itself in full isolation,” he pointed out.
He said during the sanction period, Iran has been able to change the challenges to opportunities and increase its self-reliance.
“Many items that once were being imported are now locally manufacturing by Iranian youths. Even in the defensive industry, Iran has become one of the best missile producers,” he said.
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said new alliances and new positive developments are coming about. He said for sure, the transfer of power from West to East is gathering pace and soon will dramatically change the context for dealing with international challenges.
“Although many in the West are already aware of Asia's growing strength, some are still trying to suspend the decline of current malign hegemony by resorting to anything,” he said.
**Negative effects of sanctions on relations
He said as the ambassador of Islamic Republic of Iran in Pakistan, ‘my duty necessitates to follow mutual agendas and do my best to realize the dormant potential of cooperation between our countries.’
“In many cases that I follow, when they reach to the last stage of fulfillment, our Pakistani brothers tell me that U.S sanctions and American intervention prevent it to happen,” he said.
“Today, I want to announce from this floor that US sanctions are unilateral and totally out of international agenda. There is no legality and legitimacy behind these unilateralism and many countries have shown their braveness to cut them dead,” the ambassador said.
He added in spite of the fact that American sanctions doesn’t have any international bindings and by considering the Pakistan considerations, we have suggested alternative of barter trading that neither needs Dollar accounts nor incur payment difficulties.
Hosseini said if our close neighbor like Pakistan that has many similarities with Iran decides to resist the sense of superiority that US owns, many hurdles in our bilateral relations will be removed. “We can achieve more in interdependence and cooperation than in divergence and dependence to others,” he said.
“We appreciate the strong voice of Prime Minister Imran khan that aired to oppose US unilateral and unfair sanctions against Iranian people especially when they were badly affected by Covid-19,” he said.
*Middle East a chaotic region
The ambassador said after a long time working in the field of foreign affairs, I am brave enough to say that at least, in the last decades, no region in the world has been as chaotic as Middle East, Persian Gulf and West of Asia.
He added knowing our region and its chaotic nature, we have learned how to cope with it and not let this environment cripple our bilateral relations with our neighbors.
“In the other hand, we have learned how to turn the current challenges into now and then opportunities. For us, the best possible situation is the time that other countries in our neighborhood also join hands to reduce the negative side effects of these uninvited interventions,” said the Iranian diplomat.
**Various challenges to ME region
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini in the speech said Middle East is not only the center of east but the center of foreign intervention as well.
“The conundrums of Middle East that has made the region like a tight corner are the result of many unresolved issues and above that, the result of non-dispelled illusions,” said the ambassador.
The diplomat expressing his views said countries of the Middle East are coping with different types of misunderstandings.
“For example some have illusion of grandeur, while the others suffer from hypocritical phobias, some are trapped in arm races, and the others are involved in religious competitions,” he pointed out.
The diplomat added in such a topsy-turvy situation, some invisible hands are also trying to flare up the fire and keep the flame of divergence alive in our region.
**Peace in Afghanistan
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini in his speech said Iran is happy on seeing positive developments in Afghanistan today and have always supported a stable and prosperous Afghanistan and we know that Pakistan also has done its best in this way.
“If we are in search of endurable peace and durable stability, we have to complement our efforts with each other and increase our connections on Afghanistan and with Afghanistan government,” he believed.
The envoy said in recent years, Pakistan and Iran have taken separate positive steps to expedite the peace process in Afghanistan and many breakthroughs have gained in this way.
“For sure, future trilateral cooperation between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan can make us more close to a prosperous region with sustainable peace in it,” he said.
The ambassador went on to say Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the Constitution of Afghanistan is the result of a long journey passed by Afghanistan people and international community and preserving it can help to sustain current minimum order that exists in this country.
He said in pursuit of Iran’s firm stance in supporting sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the region, Iran also believes that any negotiation about future of Afghanistan should be in cooperation and coordination with the official central government of this country.
The ambassador was of the view that any insecurity or instability in Afghanistan will definitely spill over on neighboring countries -mostly Iran and Pakistan-No country more than Iran and Pakistan has suffered from the burden of Afghan refugees and production of drugs in Afghanistan.
**Palestine cause
The ambassador said in recent years, unfortunately the nasty agenda of “deal of the century” and its implemental consequences are focused on elimination of whole Palestine both from ground and maps.
“Unfortunately Islamic countries are forced to normalize their relations with the voracious occupier Israel and in the case of disobedience, are threatened of retaliation in other fields,” he said.
The envoy said for Islamic Republic of Iran, that has never accepted suppression and pressure, Zionist regime presence in our region is considered totally illegal and illegitimate because this regime has been luring, deceiving and coercing all nations and countries into acceptation of its survival.
“In this way, Zionist ill- wisher regime has sketched and implemented many evil plans that we can see their destructive and negative effects on our region and our people today. Although some efforts have also been taken to satiate its voracity, nothing tangible reached at the end,” he said.
The diplomat was of the view the inefficiency of previously suggested plans for the question of Palestine, Iran presents its precise plan entitled "National Referendum in Palestine" to the UN for the settlement of the issue.
“In this plan, Iran clearly proposes a platform that provides the grounds for the people of Palestine to exercise their right to self-determination,” noted the envoy.
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini added according to this initiative, that is in full compliance with United Nations Charter and rules of international law, particularly international humanitarian law and human rights, all the people of Palestine, including the followers of all religions (including Jews, Christians and Muslims), who inhabited in Palestine before the issuance of the Balfour Declaration will hold a national referendum and establish a political system that will decide on the status of the non-indigenous residents of Palestine.
“The main prerequisite of this initiative that is both the request of people of Palestine and enshrined in UN Resolutions, is the return of indigenous Palestinian refugees to their homeland,” he stressed.
**War in Yemen
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said from 2011, Yemen that is a part of Islamic world and Yemeni people who are Muslims are suffering from clashes that lack any positive or even clear perspective about future.
He added huge military violations and human rights breaches in this country didn’t leave anything except destruction and disappointment.
The envoy stated Iran has always insisted on Yamani- Yamani negotiations for termination of the crisis and has done its best to subside the tensions over there.
“We believe that Yemen crisis doesn’t have any military solution and military rivalry just has emptied out Yemen and our region of tranquility,” noted the ambassador.
He said Iran is ready and will be ready to help the political settlement of the Yemen crisis for ever and will use its friendly relations with some internal groups to persuade them for terminating the battle.
“But I should clarify that people of Yemen like many other nations have learned how to defend themselves and have their own program of work and their own defensive strategy,” he viewed.
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini went on to say we also deeply appreciate Pakistan historical decision in 2015 to not enter the war in Yemen. He added this decision was one of those political wisdoms that as the time passes, its importance and prominence become more obvious.
*Persian Gulf crisis
The Iranian ambassador said Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important geopolitical spots in the world.
“A third of the world's liquefied natural gas and almost 25% of total global oil consumption passes through this strait,” he pointed out.
He said unfortunately the US uninvited military oriented presence in these waters has created an immediate threat to Islamic Republic of Iran.
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said to prolong its presence, US has defined Iran as a big danger for Arab countries and convinced some of them to buy their security before Iran from USA.
“This situation led to a fabricated Iran-phobia and intensification of military tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and United States of America and its allies in the Persian Gulf region,” viewed the envoy.
He noted with the aim of implementing its unilateral sanctions and supporting its regional allies, USA is trying to strengthen its presence in our adjoining waters and hamper the movement of Iran’s oil tankers that cannot be accepted by Iranians.
“Reacting to this U.S. military buildup, we clearly announced our opposition with American presence in our neighboring waters and asked our Muslim brothers in Arab countries to sit together and solve our security concerns,” he said.
The diplomat went on to say the proposition of “Hormuz Peace Plan” by president of the Islamic republic of Iran in the last General Assembly of UN was a clear indicator of Iran’s ambition for peaceful coexistence and respect to other countries sovereignty in the region.
“In fact, we tried to send a clear message to our Arab brothers that the real threat is not Iran and that they are just diverted from the reality of Zionist malignity,” he said.
He added in Iran’s point of view, increasing connectivity and dialogue between Persian Gulf countries, can reduce a big segment of clashes and predicaments of the region that are mostly the result of Zionist plans and American performances.
**Iran-Pakistan ties
The envoy expressing his views said considering the depth of historical and cultural relations between Iran and Pakistan, the level of cooperation between these two countries should be so high that nothing be able to have destructive effects on it.
“There are clear signs that our people crave for having an interdependent economy, they yearn for mutual development and wish for regional security and stability. If officials and representatives of these two nations want to realize these desires, they have to work together more seriously and stronger than before,” he said.
“Regarding the privileges of each of these two countries, Iran and Pakistan are bestowed everything that they need to address each other’s needs. If Pakistan is an energy hunger country, Iran is the cornucopia of it,” he said.
He noted: If Iran is a drought country and in-need of rice and agricultural products, Pakistan is a plenitude of them. “So, the big question is that how many more times we should wait that this great potential be activated and our people witness the result of our cooperation?” he asked.
The envoy noted very clear example of our slow motions is IP gas pipeline project. “Since 2009 that IP agreement was signed till today, people are waiting to enjoy the benefits of this agreement that by now, remains substantially delayed,” Hosseini viewed.
He said in spite of huge costs and difficulties Iran has finished its share of work in the project and we are waiting our Pakistani brothers to perform their commitments.
The envoy said what we need to do in Iran and Pakistan is to resist firmly all current unilateralism and coercive measures that are the last- ditch efforts of a moribund hegemony.
“Iran also has always supported and will support multilateralism and regional cooperation. For us, Belt and Road Initiative as a whole and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a part of it are good examples of multilateral economic cooperation and so, we consider it a constructive initiative and will support it,” the diplomat noted.
*Joint economic recovery after Covid-19
He said Covd-19 was one of the biggest unexpected threats to the world health at one side and global economy at the other.
“After the Covid inception in China, some other countries like Iran had badly affected by the disease. In spite of many precautions and preventive actions, this virus remained a negative effect on our economy,” he added.
He said the situation in Pakistan was not too different. Although here the disease emerged later but took many victims.
“By the grace of Allah, the situation is now under control and people have started a new normal life,” he said.
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini viewed in the case of Iran and Pakistan, we need to show high resilience after Covid-19 and remove very fast economic impediments in the way of our bilateral trades.
“By respecting the technical guidance and health protocols, we can accelerate our cooperation and aid our enterprises that are on the brink of bankruptcy,” he suggested.
He further said utilizing of Border Market potentials and facilitating barter transactions are some available opportunities that can come beneficial.
“Overcoming the two obstacles of Covid and unilateral sanctions needs our serious determination and strong will,” he noted.
He said we are really happy that Iran, Pakistan and China are on a same agenda. “It is just an example to show how our people expect cooperation between regional countries, cooperation that for sure, some others will try to play down its seriousness or significance,” he viewed.
He noted: If we easily bow to sanctions or impose inessential further ado to our future cooperation, we have in fact shown green light to the third parts that can’t see our national and regional benefit.
**Chabahar-Gwadar ports
Ambassador Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini in his views said Chabahar port in Iran and Gwadar port in Pakistan have great potentials for strengthening the interconnections between our economies at first and all the countries in the region at second.
“The fear of such capacity has made some countries to introduce these two ports as rivals,” he said.
He added the main reason behind these narratives and narration- developing is nothing except preventing future cooperation between these two countries by creating misunderstandings.
The envoy said the cognizance of Pakistan-Iran power in a possible post-convergence era and the probable realization of their great dormant potentials are not something neglected by anxious and malevolent parties.
“So, oriented by their hypothetical phobia, they will spare no effort to suffocate any future cooperation plan between Iran and Pakistan from its very inception and broadcast propaganda about this issue,” said the ambassador.
He said Iran and Pakistan Iran and Pakistan are decided to be near each other and our geopolitics will keep us together forever.
“At the end of the day, our people will definitely expand their cooperation to its highest level. So, if we want to be appreciated by our successors and be praised by our posterities, we have to accelerate this synergy and lay the ground for mutual prosperity,” he noted.
**Use of regional capacities to strengthen bilateral cooperation
The ambassador in his views said Pakistan and Iran are members of many regional organizations like SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization), D8 (Developing 8 countries) and OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation).
“Although there are still some challenging issues in these organizations, they have huge capacities that we can benefit from them for securing our developments,” he viewed.
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