Intra-Regional Dialogue Cornerstone of Hormuz Peace Initiative

EghtesadOnline: Iran's Hormuz initiative seeks to promote intra-regional dialogue as the only realistic solution to the cycle of crises in West Asia, the Iranian top diplomat said.

News ID: ۷۸۵۲۳۳

08 January 2020

"What this region needs now, more than ever before, is inclusive, comprehensive intra-regional dialogue. This lies at the foundation of the initiative Iran has been pursuing for years within the UN framework," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in his address to the 23rd International Persian Gulf Conference of Tehran Dialogue Forum, IRNA reported.

He was referring to a plan introduced at the United Nations General Assembly last year by President Hassan Rouhani as "Hormuz Peace Endeavor" and was the main theme of the current event, according to Financial Tribune.

The proposal invites all regional countries to work together within a UN framework to ensure peace and security without foreign intervention.

Zarif highlighted in his speech the United States' continuous aggressions as well as hostile acts in recent years as the main causes of endless wars, extremism and violence in this region.

"This is a vicious circle that must be broken by the regional actors and all those committed to peace, calm and stability," he said.

He regretted that some US allies and like-minded states in the region, which are dependent on foreigners and tend to purchase legitimacy and security from the outside, have adopted a path that "has led to divisions and conflicts more visible today than ever before—from battle of norms to the clash of strategies."

Solution Within Reach

According to Zarif, although a solution to the current crises might seem "farfetched", it is in fact "within reach and accessible" and what it requires is a "paradigm shift".

The current paradigm is in parts based on the presumption that American arms bring security which, according to him, has not but brought war and turbulence to the region and to the world.

"As countries situated around the Strait of Hormuz, we … should abandon the paradigm of elimination and antagonism premised on the illusion of purchasing security and development from without," he said, calling for a shift toward regional inclusivity and synergy as the only realistic way out of the current cycle of perpetuating crises.

The foreign minister stressed that security cannot be realized by "hurling stones at the neighbor's house".

"What can bring security to the vast geography of West Asia and the Persian Gulf, and create lasting peace in this region lies in enhancing inter-regional solidarity, shared understanding and cooperative relations," he said.

Zarif stressed that Iran will continue to serve as the "anchor of peace and security" and also as "the axis of regional development".

The International Persian Gulf Conference was held at the Foreign Ministry's Institute for Political and International Studies on Tuesday.

The event was attended by top Foreign Ministry officials, experts and foreign ambassadors in Tehran, as well as authorities and analysts from different countries, including Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi and Afghanistan's former president, Hamid Karzai.