What Do the Six Presidential Candidates Say About Iran's Foreign Policy and What Are Their Plans?

Following the decision of the Guardian Council, which operates directly under the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, six candidates are set to compete for the presidency to succeed Ebrahim Raisi; five of these candidates are conservatives, and only one, Masoud Pezeshkian, holds differing political views. But what are their perspectives on foreign policy, and what are their beliefs regarding diplomacy? Saeed Jalili; Self-Reliance, Opponent of Global Order. Saeed Jalili was appointed as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government and was responsible for the fruitless nuclear negotiations for about six years; discussions that are referred to as 'reading statements' by both Iranian and Western negotiators. To understand Jalili's foreign policy ideas, it may suffice to hear a brief part of his remarks during the 2021 election debates, where he stated regarding Iran's accession to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF): 'Joining the FATF is not something we need to know whether it is in our favor or not; I firmly state that signing conventions has no benefit for our country, and I am ready to debate anyone on this issue.' Jalili supports the need to expand foreign relations with southern countries in international relations and opposes developing relations with Western countries. He has been a staunch opponent of the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA and has not supported the negotiations to revive the JCPOA conducted by his former deputy, Ali Bagheri Kani. Will the nuclear issue play a role in the elections again? Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf; Foreign Policy, a Share of Governance. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the current Speaker of the Parliament and former Mayor of Tehran, is likely the ideal candidate in the field of foreign policy for Ali Khamenei; someone who does not believe the government has much of a role in this area and refers to it as a share of governance. In one of the election discussions in 2013, the former mayor of Tehran stated regarding his government's foreign policy program: 'Where in the Constitution does it allow the head of government to say that if he wins, he can conduct foreign policy as he wishes? Does the law allow the president to make decisions for foreign policy?' Qalibaf continues his manifesto on diplomacy by saying: 'According to the law, foreign policy decisions belong to the governance. Can any government come and say that it will change foreign policy in four years? In my opinion, anyone who claims that if they win, they will change foreign policy will be like their other slogans.' Previously, Ali Khamenei, during the revelation of a leaked audio file of Javad Zarif and his criticisms of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' lack of authority in decisions, publicly stated that in the Islamic Republic, foreign policy is determined not by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but by 'higher institutions.' 20 Years of Handing Over the Nuclear File; From Diplomats to Pawns. Masoud Pezeshkian, who served as Minister of Health during Mohammad Khatami's second government, was a supporter of the JCPOA nuclear agreement. He has been present in the Islamic Consultative Assembly for years and has spoken as one of its supporters both in public sessions and in specialized committees reviewing the JCPOA. In one of those sessions, in response to Jalili's criticisms of the JCPOA, he stated: 'We had politicians who said sanctions are just paper, and issue as many resolutions as you want until your resolution holder tears. The result of those policies has brought us to this point where we have been sanctioned so much. Today, the Security Council, the United States, and Europe have placed us under the most severe sanctions; now whether we say we accept those sanctions and rulings or not, it will make no difference in the essence of the matter.' Pezeshkian also stated his foreign policy priorities for his government before registering for the elections as establishing relations with the entire world except for Israel. Alireza Zakani; Supporter of the Quds Force's Role. Alireza Zakani, a former commander of the Student Basij and a representative in several terms of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, is now participating in the presidential election as the Mayor of Tehran; a path that once led Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the presidency but has since thwarted Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf's repeated efforts. Zakani, a staunch opponent of the nuclear agreement, has criticized Ali Larijani's performance regarding the JCPOA's approval in the Parliament, where he was the Speaker at that time. Zakani, whose political identity stems from radical political forces in the Islamic Republic and was previously known through the Student Basij, is a supporter of the Quds Force's role in the region. In one of his speeches, he stated: 'If there was no resistance in Syria, Iraq, and the entire region, we would have to face terrorists and murderers of ISIS in Tehran. Our security is guaranteed by those efforts. A hundred of these JCPOAs could not have prevented them by a single step.' Zakani also stated in another election discussion in 2021 that the backbone of his government's foreign policy would be the so-called 'Resistance Axis' militias and emphasized that this axis should be strengthened. Zakani also participated in the 2021 elections but, as expected, withdrew in favor of Ebrahim Raisi; this time, there is also no certainty that the current mayor of Tehran will remain in the race until the end. Achievements and Failures of the Diplomatic 'Obedient Government' of Ebrahim Raisi. Amir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi is another recurring figure in the presidential election who is participating for the second consecutive term. Qazizadeh Hashemi, who currently heads the Martyrs Foundation, has not paid much attention to foreign policy, and little evidence of diplomacy can be seen in his speeches. However, during the 2021 election debates, he referred to oil sanctions as an opportunity and claimed that in the first three years of his government, there would be no signs of oil in the government budget. He, who has been an opponent of the JCPOA, has also criticized the nuclear negotiators for 'why they signed a contract that the United States could easily withdraw from.' He also criticized 'tying the country's conditions to foreigners' in one of his campaign programs during the previous elections, adding: 'We certainly do not seek to engage in bad behavior in the international arena, but we want to manage the country based on our religious thoughts instead of following foreign governments' orders.' Mostafa Pourmohammadi; Somewhat Unknown, Somewhat Moderate. Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the Secretary-General of the Combatant Clergy Association, has leaned more towards the moderate faction in recent years, which can be seen in the positions he has held over the past two decades. He served as Minister of Interior for three years during Ahmadinejad's first government but eventually fell out with him, and Ahmadinejad dismissed Pourmohammadi before the controversial 2009 elections. Pourmohammadi, who has always had a conservative background, also served as Minister of Justice for four years in Hassan Rouhani's first government and supported the JCPOA. Like many in the Islamic Republic, he has often repeated common clichés such as 'America is in decline' and 'the course of regional developments is changing against Israel and in favor of Iran.' Pourmohammadi was initially disqualified during the Assembly of Experts elections held last December but was later approved, although he ultimately did not win any votes. He, like Ebrahim Raisi, was a member of the 'Death Committee' in the late 1980s and involved in the execution of thousands of political and ideological prisoners, citing his support for the JCPOA as the reason for his disqualification.