Ali Akbar Salehi, our country's former Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed the roots of the conflicts between Iran and the West at the joint meeting of cultural and student deputies of the country's medical universities and stated: Their conflicts with us are not limited to the nuclear issue, and the nuclear issue is merely an excuse to raise political and human rights issues.
Analysis of the Roots of Iran-West Conflicts
Salehi mentioned that the nuclear issue, due to its scientific and measurable nature, can be examined more closely, referring to the claims made about the existence of uranium contamination in Iran in the early 2000s, and said: Iran announced that this contamination has no domestic origin. Investigations showed that the mentioned uranium traces actually had a foreign origin and had been imported from abroad.
Read more: A Different Appreciation of Ebrahim Raisi in Public Gatherings
He also pointed out that if the nuclear issue did not exist, the differences between Iran and the West would easily arise, and other reasons would be presented for these differences.
Strategic Independence; The Key to Resilience in Difficult Conditions
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs further discussed the concept of independence and said: "Political autonomy" or strategic independence means a country's ability to make independent decisions in difficult and dangerous conditions. He emphasized that a distinction must be made between national sovereignty and strategic independence; many countries have national sovereignty, but this does not mean they have strategic independence.
Salehi referred to the countries surrounding Iran and said: In critical conditions, it must be seen whether these countries can make independent and decisive decisions or not. He regarded strategic independence as one of the prominent features of the Islamic Revolution and stated: Iran must determine its path and decisions based on its own interests and will.
He also referred to the slogan "Neither East nor West" and said that the goal is strategic independence, and Iran should not shift from dependence on one Western network to dependence on another network.
Maintaining Iran's Independent and Balanced Position in the Global System
Salehi, regarding the preservation of Iran's strategic independence, said: If we envision the world as a triangle consisting of the West and its allies, China and its allies, and Russia and its allies, Iran must be positioned independently and balanced. In explaining the concepts of dignity, wisdom, and expediency, he said: Dignity means preserving strategic independence, wisdom means making informed and rational decisions, and expediency means considering the country's interests.
Read more: Pezeshkian: We Have Positive Agreements with Iraq, Armenia, and Switzerland · Chris Van Hollen Urges Europe to Sanction Trump and Rubio
