The link between
the field and the politics

Tehran (Qodsna) - Hossein Amir Abdollahian became the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran with the vote of the Iranian MPs. Since his introduction as the proposed Minister of Foreign Affairs, we have witnessed a wave of concerns among Westerners and Zionists, which indicates the role that the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran can play in strengthening Iran's position in the region and internationally. Also, this election was widely welcomed by the Islamic Revolutionary Front and in particular the axis of resistance, and gave them hope for greater agility of this ministry in implementing the policies of the system.

The meetings to review the qualifications of the proposed ministers in the Parliament of Iran, which for the first time were broadcast live on radio and television, are in fact a sign of the institutionalization of the democratic process in the country and a kind of narrator of the intellectual maturity of Iranian society for the past four decades.

The views of the representatives of the MPs, who were free to oppose or agree with the proposed ministers, are another sign of the rule of religious democracy in the country. The cooperation of Parliament in reviewing the competencies and finally giving a high vote of confidence to the proposed ministers has greatly increased the hope of resolving the problems and challenges of the country. This shows the role of the Muslim people of Iran in determining their destiny through elections and is a confirmation of the Leader's emphasis that each election in turn has strengthened the foundations of the system because it is the people who, with their choices, are the wheel of the country moving towards development and a clear horizon.

Hossein Amir Abdullahian, like many other cabinet ministers of Raisi, is young, and the expectation of youth is a vivacity that can undoubtedly give more impetus to ministries, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Amir Abdullahian, at the same time as a young man, has the necessary maturity to hold this position, and this maturity and youthful vigor together can lead the foreign policy ship with the least error towards the goals for which it has been drawn.

Amir Abdollahian is a graduate of political science at all university levels and eventually received his doctorate in International Relations. Accordingly, he is a person who is fully acquainted with the theories of political science and political knowledge, which is not only an advantage but also a necessity for the Secretary of State. That is why he has an advantage over many of his predecessor ministers.

He has a master's and doctoral dissertation on Iraq, and given his responsibilities in Iraq’s affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has a relatively comprehensive knowledge of Iraq, its political, religious, and ethnic developments. This can be very instructive in Iran's relations with one of the most important countries in the region, the Arab world.

Amir Abdullahian was the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Bahrain from 2007 to 2010, where he had the opportunity to pursue his passion for understanding the environment of the GCC, and after the end of his mission, he took over the responsibility of the Persian Gulf Political Administration to continue to develop his knowledge and experience in this field.

Amir Abdollahian became the Director-General of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2006, and then in 2011, he was appointed Deputy Minister in Arab and African Affairs until 2016, increasing his experience to the highest level before the Ministry. During his tenure, we witnessed significant dynamism in Iran's political movements in order to strengthen the axis of resistance. During this period, we witnessed the expansion of his connections with the West Asian region.

Since 1995, he has been active as an advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as an advisor to the Speaker of the Parliament and the Director-General of International Affairs of Iran’s Parliament. His presence as an advisor to the Speaker of the Parliament led to his further experience in a field beyond West Asia. Although he was not yet well known in the political arena of the country and the region, due to his special genius and abilities with the field beyond West Asia, he has had missions in all of which he has been very successful.

He was appointed by the Speaker of the Parliament as the Secretary-General of the International Conference of the Palestinian Intifada. 

As the Secretary-General of the Assembly of NGOs and Activists Supporting the Freedom of Al-Quds, he succeeded in gaining more knowledge about the Palestinian issue and deep connection with Palestinian activists and the resistance in this new field. Activists whose capacities have not been used much by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in all previous periods, but this connection has raised the hope that during the ministry of Amir Abdullahian, public diplomacy in the field of Palestine and the resistance will be pursued very seriously.

In fact, Hossein Amir Abdullahian has a set of characteristics that distinguish him from all his former ministers in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has been active in the most important missions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more than two decades, both in the scientific and executive fields, and has a dense knowledge and experience in this field.

Supporting Palestine is one of the most important priorities of the Islamic system, which was pursued with great sensitivity even before the victory of the Islamic Revolution by the people and leaders of the Islamic movement. It is natural to expect Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have a different mission in this area than in other areas. But in some years, we have witnessed a kind of passivity in this ministry towards the Palestinian issue and the axis of resistance, which has caused concerns in the society.

Amir Abdullahian has been able to establish good relations with the media over the past years, and this can lead to better communication between the media and the deputies, managers, and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which hopefully will provide a suitable atmosphere during his ministry.

During his tenure as Advisor to the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament and Head of the Secretariat of the International Conference of the Palestinian Intifada (apart from his travels, meetings, interviews, and statements on Palestine), the new Iranian Foreign Minister took a number of strategic steps, including:

Follow-up for the approval of the single article of Quds as the eternal capital of Palestine in the Parliament

Follow-up and register the referendum plan at the United Nations as an official document

Follow-up for the adoption of the law against the hostile threats of the Zionist regime

Establishment of a virtual embassy in Palestine

Presentation of the plan to register the World Al-Quds Day in UNESCO

Submitting the Zionist regime's apartheid plan to the Foreign Policy Commission to solve the problem of athletes' confrontation
Holding three extraordinary meetings of the Palestine Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Writer: Ahmad Reza Roohallahzad

Ahmad Reza Roohallahzad is a Middle East affairs expert based in Tehran.