Iran and the Middle East: How to Shape a Security Regime Acceptable to All Regional Actors

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The Straits Convention, he said, not only worked well, but was achieved through the cooperation of the regional parties involved. In his opinion, an important question for regional security today is: where can cooperation start? Iraqi airspace, he argued, is an area where regional players can begin to find a convergence of interests that, in the future, may lead to a more secure region and perhaps lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive regional security arrangement.

Mustapha Tlili addressed the second question to Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee. Ambassador Khazaee was asked to define Iran’s role in the Middle East and suggest how Iran can contribute to conflict resolution in the region.

Ambassador Khazaee characterized the recent history of the Middle East as one marked by constant instability and insecurity, brought about mostly by occupation and foreign intervention which has nurtured violence, militancy, and extremism. According to the Ambassador, the root problem in the Middle East is not extremism; extremism is a symptom and not a cause. He suggested that an overview of the situations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Palestinian Occupied Territories clearly indicates that regional insecurity is driven by foreign occupation, and the anger, deprivation, fear, despair, mistrust, and injustice that it breeds. The Ambassador stressed that a successful security arrangement must address these root causes of instability.

Ambassador Khazaee argued that the troubled history of the region in recent decades indicates the necessity of adopting new security strategies that require the departure of foreign forces and the active engagement of all regional states. Undoubtedly, he said, no security arrangement will succeed without a just and durable solution to the Palestinian issue, which lies at the heart of Middle Eastern insecurity. He added that another important component of any security strategy will be the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, an idea which, he claimed, Iran has supported and promoted.

Ambassador Khazaee said that regional insecurity and foreign intervention, from which Iran has suffered tremendously in the recent past (i.e. the Iran–Iraq War, the American occupation of Iraq, etc), have influenced Iran’s national security doctrine. Iran seeks to engage in confidence–building with neighboring states on the basis of mutual security. For many years, Iran has held the view that advancing its national security requires a paradigm shift from regional mistrust caused by exclusion and foreign intervention to cooperation and confidence–building through inclusion and regional participation. The Ambassador highlighted Iran’s recent history of proposing such regional arrangements (i.e. in 1986 and in 2003 after the fall of Saddam Hussein).

On the issue of Iraq and regional security, Ambassador Khazaee raised the following seven points. First, he is of the view that American intervention in Iraq has made the region less safe. Second, the presence of foreign forces in Iraq should be terminated soon and all security responsibilities in the country delegated to Iraqi National Security forces. Third, American military bases in Iraq will impede regional security arrangements. Fourth, Iraq must be a part of any such arrangements. Fifth, Iraq should not be a safe haven for terrorists. Sixth, Iraq’s stability requires national reconciliation and regional cooperation. Seventh, a civil war in Iraq will threaten regional security.

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