Iran may be shifting to focus more on foreign policy, a logical move after the fall of the Assad regime and the weakening of some of its proxies in the region. This focus can be extrapolated from different messaging coming out of Iran.
One message came from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in which he denied that Iran even has “proxies.” Another is the recent spat between Iran and the new Syrian government, in which Damascus warned Tehran to respect its sovereignty.
“Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people and the country’s sovereignty and security. We warn them from spreading chaos in Syria and we hold them accountable for the repercussions of the latest remarks,” Assad Hassan al-Shibani, Syria’s new foreign minister, wrote on X/Twitter, which shows that while Iran may be pushing foreign policy over proxies, it is still ruffling feathers.
Another shred of evidence is that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received an award from the Iranian Army this week, dedicated to showcasing his “courageous diplomatic endeavors,” Iranian state media reported.
The report noted that the “Deputy for Coordination of Iranian Army R.-Adm. Habibollah Sayyari awarded the medal to Araghchi on Tuesday. During the awarding ceremony, the Iranian Army appreciated the country’s foreign minister for his efforts in the field of diplomacy in recent months.”
Araghchi is being hailed for his work traveling around the region, including to “war zones,” the Iranian government said, which include Lebanon – during the conflict with Israel – and Syria – in the days before the fall of the Assad regime.
Iran’s focus on diplomacy
In some sectors, Iran’s focus on diplomacy is clear: The new government in Iran has sought to encourage more outreach to Russia, China, and other states. Additionally, Iran has sought to increase ties with Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and other countries. Iran has also worked to do outreach to Egypt recently as part of an economic gathering of Muslim countries called the D-8. Tehran participates in BRICS and SCO, two other powerful economic groupings.
The overall trend is clear; Iran wants to use diplomacy to repair ties with countries like Egypt, to improve ties with countries like Qatar, and to isolate Israel. Iran’s current government may think the IRGC has been overused in the last two decades, having led Iran to failure in Syria.
Iran’s setbacks on the battlefield may therefore result in a vacuum – a vacuum foreign policy will be used to try and fill.
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