Iran’s new president, hailed as a ‘reformist’ seeking ‘social justice’, spends first weeks after election pledging allegiance to terrorists
Iran’s new president, widely portrayed in Western media as a “moderate” and a “reformist,” has spent the weeks since his election pledging to arm regional terrorist groups and assemble an international “Axis of Resistance” to threaten America.
In the two weeks since he assumed the presidency, Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged continued support for Hamas, provided assistance to Hezbollah in destroying the “illegitimate Zionist regime,” and pushed for rosier relations with Russia and China as part of the trio’s Axis of Resistance against America.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported the resistance of the peoples of the region against the illegitimate Zionist regime,” he wrote to Hezbollah’s secretary general on July 8. “Support for the resistance is rooted in the fundamental policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the ideals of the late Imam Khomeini and in the guidance of the Supreme Leader, and will continue with vigor.”
Pezeshkian’s rapid embrace of the radical regime’s policies stands in stark contrast to his portrayal in Western media, particularly in the United States, where publications such as New York TimesCNN, the Washington Post, USA Todayand the The Financial Times He presented his victory as a radical change for Tehran.
Pezeshkian “has an unconventional look and sound,” Times In a lengthy article published earlier this week, it drew on the analysis of Iranian experts who have long called for increased U.S. diplomacy with Tehran. “The prospect of a change from a conservative to a reformist government in Iran seemed fantastic.” But Pezeshkian, the outlet wrote, citing unnamed colleagues, is “straightforward, honest and motivated by social justice.”
THE The Financial Times presented Pezeshkian as the “first reformist president in two decades,” while the Job focused on the politician’s efforts to “align himself with other moderate and reformist figures.” In another Job In an article titled “Iranian reformist wins presidency, seeks ties with West,” Pezeshkian was portrayed as “a little-known reformist and heart surgeon.” Similar headlines appeared in USA Today and CNN, the latter describing Pezeshkian as a “reformist (who) favored dialogue with Iran’s enemies.”
“Pezeshkian is a relative moderate who has pledged to engage with the West, end internet filtering and stop harassment of women by morality police,” Foreign Affairs The American magazine The Guardian wrote in an article this week that the new president could change Tehran’s policy. Many media outlets have been asking similar questions since Pezeshkian was elected president, in what many called a “surprise” victory.
But the Islamic Republic’s policies have always been dictated by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei alone, and Pezeshkian could not have even run in the race without his blessing. Regional observers suspect that, like most recent elections in Iran, the result was rigged as part of a plot to promote a supposed moderate who could appease widespread discontent with Iranian rule throughout the country.
Iranians have been protesting the regime for years, fed up with its strict moral laws and its failure to reverse decades of economic stagnation. Pezeshkian campaigned on promises to turn things around, but regional experts say his first weeks in power indicate Tehran has no intention of changing its ways, especially when it comes to thwarting U.S. interests in the region and providing terrorist groups with the ammunition to attack Israel.
“Pezeshkian is not an insurgent in Iranian politics. His deepening ties with Russia, Hezbollah and Hamas before he even took office proves that he is an agent of stasis,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. “Khamenei’s promotion of Pezeshkian is aimed at provoking a fundamental shift in the West against Iran, while at best presenting a veneer of a change of style.”
“What Pezeshkian, and by default Khamenei, should benefit from most,” he added, “is projections, whether they come from Western media or governments.”
In a “Message to the New World” released last week by Pezeshkian, the president said he would work to expand relations with Russia and China, two key allies that have provided Tehran with nuclear technology and helped keep its economy afloat amid a host of Western sanctions.
“China and Russia have always supported us in difficult times,” Pezeshkian wrote, saying he would work specifically with Beijing to create “a new world order.”
“Our 25-year roadmap with China represents an important step toward establishing a mutually beneficial ‘comprehensive strategic partnership,’ and we look forward to engaging more broadly with Beijing as we move toward a new world order,” Pezeshkian said in the open letter, which was published by one of Iran’s leading state-controlled media outlets.
Russia, he added, “is a valued strategic ally and neighbor of Iran, and my administration will remain committed to expanding and strengthening our cooperation.”
“I will continue to prioritize bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Russia, especially within the framework of BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union,” he wrote.
Pezeshkian’s message to Israel was also clear: the Jewish state “remains to this day an apartheid regime, now adding ‘genocide’ to a record already marred by occupation, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, settlement building, possession of nuclear weapons, illegal annexation and aggression against its neighbors.”
He also praised the fact that “many young people in Western countries have recognized the validity of our position on the Israeli regime for decades.” Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence officials revealed last week that the Iranian regime is conducting a multi-pronged foreign influence operation, which includes paying off U.S.-based anti-Israel protesters.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech on July 10 that he was confident Pezeshkian would be a reliable ally.
“The message of the elected president of Iran was clear and definitive: the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on its own ideology, religion and principles, supports the oppressed and oppressed nations as well as the resistance front,” the Hezbollah leader said.
Earlier this week, Pezeshkian spoke with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, signaling that support for Hamas remains at the top of his presidential agenda.
“Our government will put the Palestinian issue at the top of its priorities because it is the crucial issue of the Islamic world,” Pezeshkian reportedly told Haniyeh. “We are doing our best to end the war and genocide. The long-term measure required is to end the occupation and allow the Palestinian people to obtain all their rights.”
Haniyeh and other senior Hamas leaders are currently staying in Qatar, a major Iranian ally that has also been tapped by the Biden administration to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
On Wednesday, Pezeshkian held a diplomatic conversation with Qatari leaders to further strengthen relations between the two countries.
“The cooperation between Iran and Qatar brings many mutual benefits to both sides, and the path towards improving the level of ties will be followed seriously,” Pezeshkian reportedly told the Emir of Qatar.
