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Rajab Safarov, Director of the Center for Contemporary Iranian Studies
Today, we are witnessing very interesting events happening in the world. These events are developing so rapidly that in fact not everybody, especially in the West, manages to catch up and understand what is going on, and they have showed a complete lack of preparedness for the new circumstances and the new ideas that are coming from Tehran.
I have contacts with the leading political scientists and Iranian politicians, I always have had a healthy interest in the processes that are taking place with their participation.
They said that in New York there were more than 60 contacts at a very high level.
And every single one expressed their strong interest and desire to improve relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Of course, certain US and Israeli services, and those of the enemies of Iran, are aware of such a great interest in the new leadership of Iran.
It undermines the whole concept of their behavior towards Iran.
Even in Iran not everybody is ready for such an outcome and for such a serious movement and deep undertaking by Hassan Rouhani.
Before they left for New York, the IRGC leadership, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the most militant and mobilized structure, that is ready to gather a million people under arms in a day, and which is in constant combat readiness, warned Hassan Rouhani that he shouldnt go too far in his relations with the West, especially with the USA.
The Iranian people are tired of the sanctions, tired of this situation and are very interested in normal relations with every country in the world.
Moreover, I believe that the actions of the current government actually force many states of the world to change their behavior.
And one last thing I would like to say. What will happen to Russia as a result of the US-Iranian rapprochement?
Many believe that Iran cannot be relied upon, that Iran has always been a pro-western state and that current Russian-Iranian relations are dictated by the fact that Iran is in need of these relations with Russia, and once the problems between Iran and the West are resolved, Iran would leave Russia.
One factor is the Islamic state, another factor is the pro-Western orientation of the technocrats and the possibility for quick innovation and the financial involvement of the West in the country's economy.
There is some truth in this. But this is an argument or reasoning of Russia's enemies, the enemies of Russian-Iranian cooperation and relations.
I want to say the most important thing. Under no conditions or circumstances will the Islamic Republic of Iran recognize the State of Israel.
And if this is the case, the US acts in defense of their partner in the Middle East, the State of Israel.
And with such an attitude, a degree of mistrust and confrontation will always remain between the U.S. and Iran.
Iran will not go anywhere. The geopolitical and geographical location of the two countries is such that they are doomed to have serious two-way interaction.
I think that, with the rehabilitation of relations with Iran, there will be new space to enhance trade and economic, scientific and technical contacts between Russia and Iran, since Russia would no longer be under the pressure which is now being applied through the banking sector, shareholders and participation in the capital of Russian companies, and direct dictation to the Russian economy not to have anything to do with Iran.
If these restrictions are lifted, and the renewal of bilateral relations are lifted, it will inevitably lead to the intensification of trade and economic, scientific and technical contacts between Russia and Iran.
At the moment turnover amounts to 2 billion dollars, and Russia loses at least a billion dollars annually because of adherence to the sanctions.
That's a billion in lost profits that Russia could receive annually. This is only because of these sanctions.
So I think that both Russia and the world in general should expect very good times, and in the near future we will witness very interesting and positive developments.