SAEDNEWS: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that the recent 40-day imposed war has fundamentally changed the region’s understanding of security, arguing that it demonstrates how foreign military presence can become a liability rather than a safeguard.
According to Saednews, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the recent war has demonstrated the weaknesses of depending on foreign powers for regional security and could open the door to a new era of collective security in the Persian Gulf.
In an interview published Tuesday by the Iranian Vice Presidency for Communications, Araghchi said regional countries had previously relied heavily on foreign military forces to maintain security.
“However, the recent war demonstrated that foreign forces and military bases not only failed to provide security, but in fact became sources of insecurity,” he said.
According to Araghchi, countries without US military bases experienced considerably less disruption and remained safer during the conflict than countries hosting American forces. He argued that these foreign military installations ultimately served the interests of the Israeli government rather than providing genuine security for their host countries.
The Iranian foreign minister said regional states now have a clearer understanding that lasting security in the Persian Gulf must be based on collective cooperation and must also include economic stability.
“Permanent peace cannot be achieved while economic disparities persist among regional countries, just as sustainable collective security cannot exist amid regional instability and imbalance,” Araghchi said.
He added that this changing perspective has encouraged Iran to renew diplomatic contacts with neighboring countries.
“With this new approach and renewed communication, I believe there is a positive path ahead,” he said.
Araghchi particularly highlighted Qatar’s diplomatic role, saying the country had formally become involved in mediation between Iran and the United States.
“One country I must specifically mention is Qatar, which openly and formally undertook mediation between Iran and the United States and played a very important role alongside Pakistan,” he said.
Araghchi noted that Tehran has also initiated similar contacts with other countries in the region. He expressed optimism that Iran’s relations with the Persian Gulf states could enter a new and more constructive phase, with approaches that would ultimately benefit the countries and peoples of the region.
