Iran’s parliamentary diplomacy in Geneva
The Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, attended by 135 countries from July 29 to July 31, 2025, in Geneva, brought together 99 nations at the highest level of representation. With the official motto, “Parliamentary Cooperation and Multilateralism in a Turbulent World; Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions for All,” the conference set out a clear agenda. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament, accompanied by his fellow lawmakers Abbas Qodrati, Abdolhossein Hemmati, Fatemeh Jarareh, and Hakem Mamkan, took active part in the event. Qalibaf laid out Iran’s stance in his speech, calling out the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza and their attack on Iran in June 2025, urging global parliament leaders to “take a bold stand” against those crimes during this historic moment. The two events looming over this summit were Israeli military strikes on Iranian soil the month before, and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine — particularly Gaza — which is marked by hunger, bombings, and genocide, again at the hands of Israel. Iran’s active participation alongside other parliaments helped build up the discourse on resistance, global justice, support for Palestine, and a pushback against double standards in international politics. Meanwhile, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is mapping out a new course through the enhancement of parliamentary diplomacy and effective participation of national parliaments. Their goal is to take on unilateralism, bring back multilateralism, boost institutional transparency and accountability, support vulnerable groups, and advance sustainable development goals by 2030. Accordingly, Iran’s parliamentary delegation’s packed two-day visit not only brought about valuable achievements for the country but also broke through the silence to make the voice of oppressed peoples in Iran and Gaza heard clearly and bravely worldwide.
Top lawmaker showcases Iran’s
soft power in Geneva
Abbas Qodrati
Abbas Qodrati, Iranian MP for Shirvan constituency, commented on the journey of the country’s parliamentary delegation to Geneva: “This trip came at a time when the Zionist usurper regime and criminal America, after the 12-day war and Iran’s power display, were trying to sideline Iran. But in Geneva, with global parliamentary leaders present, the voice of Iranians was shouted out loud to the world.”
He added that Qalibaf’s meetings with his counterparts covered human rights, humanitarian issues, genocide in Gaza, nuclear matters, the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, parliamentary relations, Muslim country cooperation, ties with neighbors, AI, and human rights abuses in Gaza — all of which sparked valuable debates.
Referring to Qalibaf’s candid and straightforward speech, Qodrati said it left a strong impact, showcasing Iran’s soft power on the world stage.
He described the parliamentary delegation’s trip as a symbol of domestic unity and defense of Iran’s rights in international arenas, where the voices of oppressed peoples were raised up and Israeli crimes laid bare, delivering a crushing blow to the Zionist regime’s media and diplomatic front.
Speaker seeks
legal protections
for Iranians abroad
Alaeddin Boroujerdi
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, member of parliament for Boroujerd constituency, regarding the Geneva summit and the Iranian parliamentary delegation’s meeting with Iranians living in Switzerland, said: Our diaspora make up a significant part of the Iranian nation, and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policy is to strengthen ties with its “sons and daughters far from home — except for those who fall within the country’s red lines”.
The member of the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee added: The majority of Iranians abroad carry a strong national pride, and the imposed 12-day war brought about an unprecedented unity between Iranians inside and outside the country as those abroad also showed up with their love for the homeland.
Boroujerdi considered this meeting as aligned with the Islamic Republic’s policies, stating: “Currently, the Parliament is laying down legal frameworks to support Iranians abroad by opening up access to domestic systems, addressing their legal issues, and rolling out incentives to attract investment.”
Iran convenes MPs
to condemn
Zionist crimes
Ahmad Fatemi
Ahmad Fatemi, MP for Babol constituency, said that Iran’s initiative in calling together parliamentary delegations from various countries was the best chance to blow the lid off the Zionist regime’s crimes. “These atrocities should be called out on official global platforms.”
Highlighting Iran’s demand from international organizations to clamp down on Zionist crimes, Fatemi stressed its importance under international law, describing Israel’s actions as gross violations of fundamental international legal principles, especially “peremptory rules of human rights, genocide, and war crimes,” with the International Court of Justice having jurisdiction.
He praised Qalibaf’s speech at the “Upholding International Law and the UN Charter to Ensure Global Peace and Security” meeting as very clever. “Iran’s initiative to set up meetings with various parliamentary delegations deserves credit as it can help bring about parliamentary consensus against Zionist crimes,” Fatemi added.
Zionist regime uses AI for acts of assassination, propaganda
Abdolhossein Hemmati
Abdolhossein Hemmati, one of the Iranian MPs at the Geneva summit, at a specialized panel on parliaments’ role in shaping the digital future held on the sidelines, pointed out the broad digitalization impact in education, health, commerce, and governance.
“We are at a critical juncture where we must steer this digital revolution towards a future that respects justice, national sovereignty, human dignity, and closes down digital divides,” he noted.
Describing the Iranian Parliament’s efforts to raise digital literacy, boost infrastructure — especially in rural areas — and support technological innovation, Hemmati emphasized the National Information Network as the backbone of Iran’s cyber policy, a vital step towards digital self-sufficiency and citizen rights protection in the data era.
He called artificial intelligence a transformative opportunity, adding that it is being leveraged in Iran “to address national challenges such as disaster management, healthcare improvement, and economic growth,” stressing the ethical and culturally aligned use.
Expressing concern over political and security misuse of emerging technologies, he charged that the Zionist regime in recent wars against Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran has relied on AI for public opinion engineering and assassination operations. “The international community must draw up deterrent laws to prevent such abuses,” he underlined.
Hemmati also affirmed Iran’s commitment to shaping a digital future that is safe, just, and culturally respectful.
Iranian MPs challenge global hegemony
Mohammad Manan Raeesi
Mohammad Manan Raeesi, MP for Qom constituency, said that, unlike customary protocols outlining international organizations’ frameworks, most of these bodies are dominated by a few major powers, chiefly the US and its allies, the flagbearers of global arrogance.
Raeesi stressed the need for active participation by independent countries like Iran in international assemblies to break through this siege and effectively shed light on Iran’s discourse. “With effective communication, it is possible to help break the US hegemony and global arrogance,” he added.
The lawmaker also welcomed Iran’s parliamentary delegation’s activities at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, expressing hope that these efforts will make headway towards achieving the Islamic Republic’s “international objectives”.
The full article first appeared in Persian on IRNA.