Iran is working the phones of diplomacy. Over the past days, Iranian state media have described a flurry of activity on the diplomatic front. This comes as Iran is also concerned about tensions with Israel and is weighing whether it will re-enter talks with the US. This is part of a larger agenda.
Advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ali Akbar Velayati, said that the “era of the United States’ dominance has come to an end and the world is now transitioning from a unipolar to a multipolar and equitable order,” Iranian state media noted.
What is Iran’s foreign ministry doing? “Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Hussein Mohammed Bahr Al Uloom has commanded the recent remarks by Esmaeil Baqaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, regarding the sixth parliamentary elections in the Arab country,” Iran’s state media IRNA said.
Iraq’s elections are important because of all the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. It is also important for Iran to try to continue to influence and control parts of Iraq and Iraq’s resources.
The Islamic Republic views ties positively and has praised the political and electoral atmosphere in Iraq. “Bahr Al Uloom added that Baqaei also expressed hope that the Iraqi people’s participation in the electoral process will help outline the political future of the country,” IRNA added.
Iran is also improving ties with Uzbekistan. “Iran and Uzbekistan have reached new agreements to expand cooperation and investment in the mining and mineral industries, marking a significant step toward strengthening bilateral economic relations,” IRNA noted.
This comes days after US President Donald Trump hosted Central Asian countries and also after Kazakhstan announced it would join the Abraham Accords. Iran also wants to maintain its position in Central Asia. “During his visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Atabak held talks with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Mining and Geology, Islamov Bobur Farxodovich, and Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, on Tuesday,” IRNA noted.
“The Iranian delegation, headed by Minister Atabak, arrived in Tashkent on November 9. He is accompanied by senior officials from Iran’s industrial and mining sectors.”
The ambassadors of Iran and Russia in Baghdad have discussed the latest developments in Iraq ahead of the country’s parliamentary elections, emphasizing the importance of the vote for Iraq’s stability and development.
Meanwhile, Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Kazem Al Sadegh and Russian Ambassador Elbrus Kutrashev exchanged views on Iraq’s situation during the election period, the Iranian media said. “Both diplomats underlined that the elections could play a vital role in strengthening stability and advancing development in the country.
Tehran deepens diplomatic ties with Russia and the UAE
During the meeting, Al Sadegh thanked Russia for its positions and support for the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding Resolution 2231 and stressed the need for constructive cooperation between the two countries at the bilateral and international levels.”
At the same time, in the UAE, Al-Ain media said that the UAE’s Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the UAE, “met on Tuesday with Saeed Khatibzadeh, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the Center for Political and International Studies.”
The information follows an Emirates News Agency report “that the meeting discussed relations between the United Arab Emirates and Iran and ways to strengthen them. The meeting also reviewed regional and international developments and issues of common interest and exchanged views on them.”
Al-Ain added that “Dr. Anwar Gargash stressed the priority of dealing with regional developments through dialogue and diplomacy in a way that achieves the stability and prosperity that the countries and peoples of the region aspire to. The meeting comes on the sidelines of the Iranian official’s participation in the twelfth edition of the ‘Abu Dhabi Strategic Forum’ organized by the Emirates Policy Center.”