“These efforts portray an Iran that is not pressured and constrained, but active, creative, and influential; a country whose diplomacy, through all available avenues and tools, simultaneously safeguards national interests and citizens’ rights while consolidating its position in the world,” the top diplomat said in an op-ed piece published in Persian language, Iran Newspaper.

It was published on Saturday, the final day of Administration Week in Iran, and a month into the one-year anniversary of the administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian who was inaugurated on July 30, 2024, a day ahead of Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader Esmail Haniyeh in Tehran. Haniyeh was among the official guests attending Pezeshkian’s inaugural ceremony.

During the first year of the National Consensus Government led by President Pezeshkian, Iran’s foreign policy began under highly tense conditions, said Araghchi.

Both at the very start of the administration and on the eve of its first anniversary, Israel carried out overt military and terrorist attacks on Iranian soil, the foreign minister further said, referring to Haniyeh’s assassination and the 12-day war of aggression Israel waged against Iran on June 13 this year.

In this environment, he noted, Iran’s diplomatic apparatus sought to implement an active, inclusive, and effective foreign policy, one that would both safeguard national security and create new opportunities for regional and international cooperation, with the Foreign Ministry putting a strong focus on the neighborhood policy alongside efforts to resume sanctions relief talks mediated by Oman.

Numerous visits and high-level meetings with the Persian Gulf states, Turkey, Pakistan, Jordan, and Egypt showed that Tehran was determined, even during one of the most critical moments in recent history, to strengthen regional convergence and build a coalition against shared threats, he further said, adding that the 12-day Israeli war served as a major test for Iran’s diplomacy.

Araghchi then referred to efforts by his ministry to tell the world that the Israeli-waged conflict was a clear act of aggression against Iran, and the Islamic Republic reserved its legitimate right to self-defense.

“In the very first hours, I sent an official letter to the UN secretary-general and the president of the Security Council, in which it was stated: The Islamic Republic of Iran is the victim of an obvious act of aggression and, in accordance with the UN Charter, reserves its inherent right of self-defense.”

The Security Council held three emergency meetings on Iran, in all of which Iran’s representatives resolutely defended the nation’s legitimacy with legal and political arguments, said Araghchi, adding that he repeatedly emphasized, “If the Security Council remains silent in the face of this blatant aggression, it will lose its credibility.”

The Iranian foreign minister also referred to more than 60 phone and video calls with his counterparts of other countries, in which he made it clear that “Iran has not started and will not start a war, but it will not hesitate for a single moment to defend its people and territory.”

Emphasis was also placed on the link between “diplomacy, the battlefield, and the media” as the key to Iran’s success, he added.

The top diplomat elaborated on the Foreign Ministry’s efforts in other sections as well, aiming to promote Iran’s stance.

On the economic front, the signing of a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, expansion of transit corridors, and deepening of ties with Turkey, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council reflected the momentum of economic diplomacy, he said, adding that non-oil exports grew, and new markets in Eurasia, Africa, and even Latin America were activated.

At the same time, Iran’s accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, strengthened strategic relations with Russia and China, and participation in regional expert meetings, consolidated Tehran’s role as an active player, the foreign minister wrote.

As for the public and media arena, he said that more than 30 press briefings, dozens of interviews, and multimedia campaigns were conducted to project Iran’s narrative of global developments and counter enemy propaganda.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry prioritized consular services and support for Iranians abroad, while parliamentary and provincial diplomacy created new links between domestic and foreign spheres, according to the top diplomat.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs now faces a vision in which every diplomatic move can influence the course of global dialogues and decision-making,” said Araghchi.