Rouhani: Extending a Hand of Peace to Enemies Requires Great Courage

Just a few days after Ayatollah Khamenei's remarks about the 'lower cost' of confronting enemies compared to reconciling with them, Hassan Rouhani emphasized that 'enduring peace is much harder than fighting' and that 'making peace with enemies' requires great courage. In statements made on Saturday evening, June 20, during a ceremony honoring Quranic servants, the President of Iran noted that 'patience and forbearance for peace is harder than patience and endurance in the battlefield.' Rouhani recalled Ayatollah Khomeini's expression of 'drinking the cup of poison' at the time of accepting the final resolution of the eight-year war, adding that 'sacrificing oneself and bravery in battle is difficult, but enduring peace is much harder than fighting.' The Iranian President also stated that 'it requires a lot of courage for a person to extend a hand of peace for the interests of the Islamic community against enemies.' These remarks directly contrast with the perspective expressed by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic last week regarding the costs of confrontation and reconciliation with enemies. On Sunday, June 14, Ayatollah Khamenei, in a speech at the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini, reminded that 'confrontation with great powers has costs, but reconciliation with them also has costs' and emphasized that if the confrontation is 'rational,' it is less costly than reconciliation. He referred to the recent arms deal between Saudi Arabia and the United States, claiming that the Saudi government 'has spent more than half of its financial reserves to reconcile with the new American president' in service of American goals. In recent years, the Islamic Republic's insistence on pursuing certain regional and international policies, including the controversial nuclear program, has led to Iran's isolation in international circles. The pursuit of the controversial nuclear program in Iran, which eventually led to the Vienna nuclear agreement after nearly two years of negotiations, imposed a series of 'stingy economic sanctions' on Iran, which, although they were halted after the Vienna agreement, continue to affect Iran's economy and have compelled Iranian officials to pursue a program known as resistant economy. In last week's remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei also advised the country's officials not to 'submit to bullying and not to be deceived by powers' and emphasized that if there is a retreat in front of powers, 'new demands will be raised' and these demands will not stop. Khamenei also stated that in his view, 'revolutionary spirit means that the officials of the country do not make it their goal to satisfy the arrogant powers.' These statements contrast with what Hassan Rouhani had expressed regarding the message of people's participation in elections for continuing 'interaction with the world.' Both Rouhani and his government officials have expressed confidence that through interaction with other countries, they can overcome the remaining effects of sanctions, and Rouhani emphasized in his electoral campaign that 'if the people vote and the leadership desires,' his government will also pursue the lifting of other sanctions.