Reading Room
‘Iranian Diplomacy in the Post-Polar World’ by Zarif out now
The former Iranian foreign minister, in his latest book, has stated that the prerequisite for benefiting from all pillars of national capability is a realistic understanding of oneself and the surrounding sphere, and has emphasized: No country can design an effective strategy solely by relying on its idealistic image of the world, or based on wishes and subjective tendencies.
According to IRNA, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who is the director of the Payab Think Tank, announced the publication of his new book on X and wrote: “At the suggestion of many academic colleagues, the textbook ‘Iranian Diplomacy in the Post-Polar World,’ which encompasses scientific studies and research as well as experiences from about half a century of engagement in diplomacy, has been compiled and published by the efforts of my dear friend and colleague Abbas Shiri through the Mizan Legal Foundation.”
In a part of the preface to this book, Zarif has stated, “Diplomacy is one of the fundamental pillars of national power. In a world where power is not defined solely on the battlefield, dialogue, coalition-building, image-making, trust-building, de-escalation, and conflict management are considered part of the mechanisms of power.
A country that views diplomacy only in times of necessity or as a tool to ward off danger has in fact neglected one of the most key pillars of its capability. The prerequisite for benefiting from all pillars of national capability is a realistic understanding of oneself and the surrounding sphere. No country can design an effective strategy solely by relying on its idealistic image of the world, or based on wishes and subjective tendencies. Foreign policy is the place where reality prevails over fantasy and the realm of connection between ideals and possibilities. The greater the distance between these two, the heavier the costs of decision-making will become. Self-belief and confident awareness of one’s assets, along with identifying shortcomings and internal and external challenges, are prerequisites for avoiding the trap of extremism and negligence.
The book “Iranian Diplomacy in the Post-Polar World” in six chapters and 334 pages, including the theoretical framework of foreign policy, the post-polar world, types and methods of diplomacy, actors in foreign policy, neighbors and the Global South, and Iran and the great powers, has been adorned with the print of publication by Mizan Publication (mizan-law.ir) and is available to those interested.