Alum Mohammad Javad Zarif: Iran Ready to Gift Peace to Middle East
THE NEW ARAB -- Mohammad Javad Zarif is the foreign minister of Iran. A career diplomat, with several postings as an envoy of Tehran in the U.S. and at the U.N., Zarif is also a visiting professor at University of Tehran, having received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in International Relations from San Francisco State University and a second M.A. and a Ph.D. from University of Denver.
In this opinion piece, Zarif discusses anti-terrorism efforts in Iran.
“Iran is willing to fully cooperate, whether with regional countries or those outside the region, to combat terrorism and extremism, and restore stability and security to Syria,” Zarif writes. “The Iranian conduct in this cooperation will follow the constant principle that Iran abides by in its foreign policy — namely the rejection of hegemony.
“While we respect the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all countries of the region, and affirm non-interference in each other's internal affairs and the resolution of all differences through peaceful means, we consider that long-term interests - whether those of Iran or the peoples of the region and the world - require fighting the scourges of terrorism and extremism, especially those pursued in the name of religion.”