Iran open to cooperation with West if it gives up bullying
Relations between Iran and the West have remained strained and frosty since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Although limited contacts have taken place at times, deep and lasting cooperation has never materialized due to persistent political differences. Iran blames Western powers for coercion and unreasonable demands, while the West often portrays the Islamic Republic as a source of regional instability and has sought to rein in its military capabilities through sanctions and pressure. This standoff has persisted for decades and, in recent years, reached a peak that makes reconciliation seem increasingly difficult.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, recently noted that Iran had never been hostile toward the West, arguing that it was Western political and security behavior that had blocked the path to cooperation. He described the American slogan “peace through strength” as the true reflection of West-Iran relations.
Mansour Haghighatpour, a political analyst, has told Iran Daily that warm relations with China and Russia prove that Iran could also have friendly ties with the West, but the West’s power politics have fueled the crisis.
IRAN DAILY: Considering Larijani’s remark that the nature of Iran’s relationship with the West can be understood through the slogan “peace through strength,” how would you describe this approach?
HAGHIGHATPOUR: Iran is not sulking with the West. What has prevented active relations is the Western tendency to look at issues solely through the lens of power and coercion. As Larijani rightly pointed out, Iran is not a country that will ever bow down to pressure. If the West seeks ties on fair and reasonable terms, the Islamic Republic will welcome such engagement and will not shy away from it in any way.
The problem lies in the Western mindset, which unfortunately has always been driven by domination and arrogance in dealing with Iran and the wider world. While such bullying may have worked for them in the past, it no longer does in today’s era. They must set aside their power-based approach and engage with Iran as an equal, without preconditions or dictates.
They cannot meddle in how far Iran’s missiles can reach, like Iran rarely comments on the West’s nuclear capabilities or its vast arsenals. None of the Western states that address Iran from a position of strength is willing to pursue nuclear disarmament itself. If the West abandons coercion, Iran, just as it maintains warm relations with China and Russia, can also enjoy logical and constructive ties with Europe and the broader Western world.
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