Iran’s new Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been moving quickly to cement Iran’s role in the region. His diplomatic offensive is taking shape even as Iran continues to threaten Israel with military force. This is important to recognize because it represents a multi-pronged Iranian offensive on several levels.
Araghchi is holding a series of meetings like a whirlwind, even as he is just getting his feet wet in his new role as foreign minister. He brings a wealth of experience to his position, so this is not exactly new territory for him. According to Iranian state media, he spoke with his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Al Yahya this week.
“In this conversation, the Kuwaiti foreign minister pointed out his country’s will to continue the development and expansion of relations between Tehran and Kuwait, and emphasized the importance of continuing political dialogue between the two countries,” Iran’s IRNA state media reported.
He also contacted Oman, speaking with his Omani counterpart Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.
“In this conversation, Al Busaidi pointed out the Sultan of Oman’s special attention to the relations between the two countries and its increasing development and emphasized his readiness to work closely with his Iranian counterpart to follow up and implement the agreements of the heads of the two countries,” IRNA noted.
Iran strengthening relations with key countries
At the same time, Iran’s president and Iranian envoys are working to strengthen relations with key countries. For instance, the Iranian and Turkish ambassadors to Iraq met and shared their views on the region. They condemned Israel and discussed Gaza.
This is notable because Iraq does not border Israel. Iran backs militias in Iraq that have been attacking Israel, while Turkey operates in northern Iraq.
According to IRNA, Mohammad-Kazem Ale-Sadegh met with Anil Bora Inan, Turkey’s new ambassador to Baghdad. Iran and Turkey enjoy warm ties and are close to Russia. This week, the Iranian ambassador to Turkey, Mohammad Hassan Habibzadeh, also met with the country’s Vice President, Cevdet Yilmaz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also met in Tehran this week. Qatar is a crucial partner of Iran.
“During a meeting in Tehran on Monday, the two sides discussed a wide range of bilateral, regional, and international issues,” IRNA reported. Iran’s president criticized Israel during the meeting.
The Iranian diplomatic offensive includes more outreach to Egypt as well. Overall, Iran’s goal is to create a “ring of fire” around Israel and isolate it diplomatically while using proxies to attack. This week’s meetings are part of that broader agenda.
