An insider's view of Iranian Foreign Policy; Negotiating from Strength

The Islamic Revolution of Iran has introduced a new discourse at the international arena that has prevented the preponderance of a hegemonic discourse on many instances. This discourse, which was based on independence and native experience, and considering Iran’s particular geostrategic position and coinciding with a critical juncture in the development of international system, has entailed costs. Given that customary power equations in international relations have been more difficult and cumbersome for Iran as compared with other countries, the experience of Iran’s active presence and participation in various regional and international arenas demonstrates that any negligence on the part of the country would lead to incurring costs that could prove irreparable in cases. Iran, an exemplar of an independence-seeking country without a strategic ally, not only does not move in the direction of the dominant international currents, it in fact has introduced a new discourse and has contributed to shaping international issues and discussions. The 4-decades-old experience of the Islamic Revolution bears witness to the fact that proactive diplomacy has played a significant role in the realization of the Revolution’s objectives at critical historical junctures. My findings, both experience-based and theoretical, in the course of personal engagement with the Security Council resolution 598 (1987), Afghan peace talks (2001), situations in Iraq and Syria, as well as with the nuclear deal (JCPOA) attest to the important fact that Iran has succeeded in realizing the objectives of the Islamic Revolution’s discourse only when field power has been combined  and complemented with negotiation premised on an approach dedicated to augmenting national prowess and active presence in critical international scenes.