The head of the Foreign Relations Council responds to an important question: Where does Iran’s current power come from?

Pars Today – The head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said: “Today, Iran is a powerful country, and no one can invade our country because we have achieved this self-reliance and strength from our own people.”
According to Pars Today, citing IRNA, Seyyed Kamal Kharrazi stated on Thursday at the conference titled “The Persian Gulf in Light of Regional and International Developments” in Tehran: “If Iran were dependent on foreign powers, naturally it would not have been able to act with such independence. The obtained power is acknowledged by others as well, who recognize that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a powerful country that has been able to defend itself militarily and stand firm against foreigners.”
Kharrazi emphasized: “Thanks to the efforts of our scientists, the armed forces, and the wise leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s armed forces [Imam Khamenei], we have succeeded in providing the foundations of the country’s power—power that ensures internal security, territorial integrity, and prevents any aggression against Iran.”
Kharrazi, pointing to Iran’s military power and emphasizing that the strategic policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the use of soft power, stated: “This policy includes expanding economic cooperation with regional countries.”
 
The necessity of employing proactive diplomacy and soft power alongside hard power
The head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations also highlighted the necessity of using soft power alongside hard power, adding: “Now that we have achieved this level of power, we must focus on soft power under the shadow of hard power and pursue proactive diplomacy.”
Kharrazi considered cooperation between Iran and the Persian Gulf littoral states to extend far beyond economic issues, stating: “Collaboration in areas such as energy, science and technology, culture, shared heritage, as well as political and military cooperation are among these fields. The future fate of this region depends on regional cooperation, and Iran is ready for extensive collaboration.”
 
MG/UR