US failure to isolate Iran evident as ties with neighbors expand: VP
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
Iran’s Vice President for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Hosseini on Wednesday said that the United States’ objective of isolating Iran through sanctions had failed, as Iran’s relationships with neighboring countries continued to expand.
In an interview with Iran Daily, Hosseini underscored the government’s approach of fostering relations with neighboring nations, which has effectively thwarted America’s strategy of maximum pressure.
Hosseini highlighted the potential benefits of effectively utilizing regional resources and collaborating with neighboring countries, saying close cooperation with them could provide Iran with access to vast markets with a substantial population of over 600 million people.
The vice president further noted that the current Iranian government had prioritized developing relations with neighbors since taking office in August 2021.
Notably, Hosseini mentioned President Ebrahim Raeisi’s initial foreign visit to Tajikistan, where he participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit weeks into his presidency.
The visit laid the groundwork for Iran’s subsequent membership in the organization.
The official said that previous governments had failed to establish “meaningful” interaction with Tajikistan which shares historical, linguistic, and cultural communalities with Iran.
“However, the current government’s policy of fostering relations has facilitated cooperation, including pursuing membership in the SCO.”
The Iranian government’s efforts to foster relations with neighboring nations have yielded positive outcomes, he added.
“Recent visits by political delegations, including the sultan of Oman and a delegation from Turkmenistan, have resulted in agreements in various fields, such as political, security, and economic.”
Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq expressed Egypt’s interest in restoring relations with Iran, which was welcomed by Iran’s Leader as a potential renewal of ties after four decades.
Hosseini further emphasized that establishing relations with Egypt could have positive effects on Iran’s relations and contribute to its foreign trade.
While pointing to border tensions with Afghanistan, he acknowledged that conflicts and disputes are natural occurrences but affirmed that Iran responded appropriately, resulting in the restoration of peace along the borders.