Alwaght- Earlier this June, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was escorted by Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari to Europe. Accustomed to seeing Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in these pictures, many were quick to raise questions as to why he was replaced on that trip.
On June 19, it was announced that Ansari had been appointed deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs replacing Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who had served in this position since 2011.
After this sudden change, several media outlets in the region and the Arab world claimed that the change would also mark a shift in Iran’s regional policy in a bid to undermine the Islamic Republic’s support for the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah. Many attempted to predict that the replacement of Amir Abdollahian would reflect changes on the political level.
However, as soon as Ansari was appointed, Zarif set him on his first mission as deputy FM; which was to visit Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyid Hassan Nasrullah. This visit sends a clear message to the world, particularly to those who are counting on faltering Iranian support for Hezbollah, mainly that the resistance will remain high on top of its priority list.
Hossein Jaberi Ansari met on Tuesday in Beirut with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
During his visit to Lebanon, the newly-assigned deputy foreign minister discussed the latest regional developments with Sayyid Nasrullah in the presence of Mohamad FatahAli, Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon. Surely, there will be more visits by Ansari to the Hezbollah leader to secure more coordination on Hezbollah’s role in Syria, a matter that Abdollahian was highly concerned with.
Ansari also separately met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry, Prime Minister Tamam Salam, and Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Jebran Basil.
While many conservative sites and newspapers appeared surprised by the unexpected change, there is no question that Tehran will not budge on its stance toward the resistance with the change of parties or positions. The resistance is an issue deeply entrenched within the Islamic Republic’s principles and beliefs, particularly that Hezbollah stands at the forefront of the fight against the Israeli regime and the Zionist Occupation Forces.
Conservative Mashregh News wrote that Abdollahian is “the perfect example of a revolutionary diplomat” and that Iran needs more diplomats like him so that the country “is not taken for a ride at the negotiation table.” The publication also question the timing of Amir Abdollahian’s removal, particularly at a time when “for the first time diplomatic discussions on Syria and Yemen have become serious.”
Nonetheless, the article was optimistic about the continuation of Iran’s “Islamic resistance” and said Ansari “undoubtedly has capabilities worthy of respect, which he was shown previously.”
Meanwhile, Javan stated in an article that a Lebanese March 14 newspaper welcomed rumours of Abdollahian’s replacement, saying “it was a positive step in strengthening the relationship with Arab [countries].”
Regardless of these speculations, there is no basis for assumptions about alterations in Iran’s relationship with Hezbollah.
Even when Sheikh Hassan Rouhani, who is considered to be a modrate politician, was elected president many supposed that the Iranian government would witness drastic changes with regards to foreign policy. However, even with the change in president and the parties in charge, Iran has maintained its core principles. Again, the Iranian government has pledged to continue supporting and strengthening the resistance which indicates no change in attitude compared to preceding heads of state.
Also, the framework of the Islamic Republic is strongly interconnected with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the government, and other organizations keen to remain aligned. This means that there is no room for divisions or backing down on key values that have been engraved in the construct of the country.
It is true that Ansari’s succession of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, a well-known diplomat fluent in Arabic and English and who focused on Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, was quick and sudden. It is also true that no reason was given for Ansari’s quick promotion since he had only been appointed spokesman in October. However, the ambiguity surrounding this change in position should not cast a cloud of doubt over the Islamic Republic’s support for the Hezbollah and the resistance as a whole.
