Iran’s New Foreign Minister Unveils Conditions for Defusing Tensions with US

In his first interview with a foreign news agency after receiving a vote of confidence from the Parliament and taking the helm at the Foreign Ministry, Araqchi spoke with Japan’s Kyodo News on Wednesday.

Araqchi said his ministry will boost ties between Tehran and Tokyo in all aspects, based on a comprehensive roadmap built on his deep knowledge of Japan, and will cooperate with Tokyo to address the regional crisis jointly.

"I know the capacity and capabilities of Japan. Japan can be more important in Iran's energy, oil, and economy section," the former ambassador to Japan told Kyodo News.

Iran will welcome Japanese companies interested in working in the oil and energy sector, the minister said, adding that Japan can return to Iran's oil fields and contribute to expanding its oil production.

Araqchi said he believes that Iran and Japan, with their distinct yet complementary capabilities, hold immense potential for forging a mutually beneficial and stabilizing partnership across Asia.

"In this light, expanding economic and trade ties between Iran and Japan emerges as a natural and logical choice," he said. "We anticipate that this collaboration will continue to flourish on a path of fruitful cooperation."

On Iran's foreign policy priorities going forward, Araqchi said the new government has designated cultivating relations with East Asia a pivotal objective, and emphasized "Japan's prominent position" in this context.

Explaining his strategy to boost ties with Japan while US sanctions impede Iran's ability to have normal relations with the world, the foreign minister said that in the face of global uncertainties and rapid transformations, it is imperative to unlock new avenues for economic and trade cooperation between Iran and Japan.

"We must transcend obstacles hindering our mutual interests and prioritize our vital needs. By comprehensively evaluating the current landscape, we can forge a constructive partnership to drive both nations' progress and prosperity," he said.

Regarding Japan's initiatives to address the hostility between Tehran and Washington in 2019, Araqchi said that Iran and Japan have nurtured a bond characterized by friendship, mutual understanding, respect and trust.

"It enables Iran and Japan to jointly address global and regional challenges with a shared spirit of constructiveness and optimism. I would say there is always a space for contributing initiatives," he said.

The foreign minister explained that as a crucial step toward lifting the sanctions on Iran's economy and returning it to normal trade relations in the international community, Iran's Foreign Ministry will seek to manage tensions with Washington and rebuild ties with European countries, but only if they abandon their "hostile approach" while aiming to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and lift sanctions.

"In my foreign policy address to the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament), I highlighted the crucial objective of lifting sanctions, particularly unilateral ones, through earnest, focused, and time-bound negotiations while upholding the nation's fundamental principles," Araqchi added.