THE second round of the Iranian presidential elections ended with the victory of Masoud Pezeshkian who is known to be from the reformist movement. In his first statement after his victory, he said that he “extends his hand to everyone in the world.”

Without a doubt, this statement has consequences that must be followed up; given that the extension of a hand is for the sake of cooperation, not provocation or bragging about occupying four Arab capitals or threatening the Arabs from time to time, especially those closest to Iran like the Gulf states.

Also, it does not mean the continuation of the challenge to the international community, which has become certain that the current Iranian regime is a threat to global security and stability. Therefore, lifting sanctions on it will lead to more support for terrorism, particularly in the Middle East.

Hence, the pressing question for Pezeshkian is: What has Iran, the State and the people benefited from its presence in Iraq and Syria, and the devastation that has befallen them? This is in addition to Yemen, where the ‘Revolutionary Guard’ inflated the ‘Houthi gang’, so it became a major threat to international navigation in the two seas -- Red and Arab seas. What did Tehran benefit from supporting Hamas, which destroyed Gaza, while this had a negative impact on the Palestinian issue?

Moreover, can what its agent, Hassan Nasrallah, and his satanic party, have done in Lebanon and the destruction they caused serve Iran? Can the tense situation with the Arab Gulf states, which has continued since 1979, lead to the imposition of ‘exporting the revolution’ in the sectarian manner that the Iranian turban group is seeking? It is good for the new president to announce this position.

It is better for him to build on the agreement signed between Riyadh and Tehran -- the first fruits of which indicated a kind of stability and the opening of dialogue channels between the two countries. But, in return, Iran continued to support -- both militarily and financially -- the terrorist gangs that continue to threaten regional peace; especially the Iraqi and Yemeni sectarian groups, from which an official emerges every day to threaten the Arab Gulf states.

We have said repeatedly, and we reiterate: that Iran is an important country and a cornerstone of development in the region. It has great potential in agriculture, industry, etc., which provides the region with many advantages that help build important economic partnerships. These partnerships will definitely lead to prosperity for the entire region, but there must be a realistic vision of Iranian political behavior and abandoning the incitement of sectarian strife.

Consequently, it is important for the Tehran regime, which is mired in medieval delusions, to be convinced that it will neither gild the world nor triumph over the superpowers. Rather, the loser will be the Iranian people alone, the majority of whom still languish below the poverty line, while the pockets of those wearing turbans keep on swelling. Undoubtedly, the terrorist practices will lead to more militarization of the region; hence, the assistance of Americans, Europeans and the West. These forces are not charitable organizations, as they rather work for their own interests.

Countries in the region are aware of this and they have been seeking a common word with Iran, which continues to challenge and provoke them for nearly 45 years. We say it again, welcome, the new Iranian president, but he must learn a lesson from the election results; which indicated the Iranians were disappointed by failed attempts at reform, political repression, and an economic crisis, which led to his election. He focuses on Iran’s vital interests and abandons the approach of the hardliners and the Revolutionary Guard despite the conviction that the ultimate authority is the Supreme Leader.

However, the President of the Republic and his government have a margin of movement that helps prove the futility of the previous policy. Thus, he must emulate Rafsanjani and Khatami, who at the time, eased the siege on Iran

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
[email protected]