Zarif: The Time for a Paradigm Shift Has Come; For Iran, This Change Begins from Within
Perhaps due to Iran’s frustration with past experiences, the third pillar of the paradigm shift—global diplomacy—is the most challenging. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that Iran and the international community share existential interests in moving beyond those experiences and building a different future.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, former Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in a note published in Foreign Policy, emphasized that warmongers benefit from closing any window for diplomacy, and we must seize this opportunity to prevent them from consolidating a destructive threat paradigm. He stressed: now is the time for a paradigm shift.
In the text of the note, Zarif states: West Asia is at a dangerous turning point. The ongoing disasters in Gaza, the recent aggression against Iran that was repelled by the resistance of our people and armed forces, and the continued destabilization of Syria clearly show that for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and his global supporters, the only so-called existential threat is in fact “peace and stability.”
This duality for Israel—internal apartheid and perpetual regional conflict—threatens the foundations of regional and global order. While strong defense is necessary, a sustainable solution requires a bold diplomatic initiative and a historic shift for Iran and the region: moving from a deeply entrenched threat-based paradigm to an empowering opportunity-based paradigm. This transition includes: expanding relations with neighbors and countries of the Global South, creating a new regional partnership among Muslims in West Asia, and resuming dialogue with Europe and the United States.
For decades, countries in the region have been trapped in cycles of conflict and missed opportunities. Building a different future requires insight, courage, and a conscious decision to break away from historical determinism. For Iran, this change begins from within and radiates outward.
By demonstrating that it is not easy prey and can resist two aggressors armed with nuclear weapons, Iran has the capacity to transition from a permanent threat-focused approach to one oriented toward seizing opportunities.
This transition is not only possible but is deeply in the interest of Iran, the region, and the global community. Its realization requires resolute domestic determination and the absence of external intervention—motivated not necessarily by ethics or international law, but by national interest.
The greatest potential of Iran lies in its people. Millennia of history testify to their extraordinary resilience. Invaders have occupied Iranian soil but have always been absorbed into the enduring Iranian culture and have never been able to impose their values on its people.
This resilience has been a decisive factor in thwarting seemingly superior enemies—from Iraq’s 1980 aggression (with global support) to the recent misdeeds of Netanyahu and Donald Trump. This is why four decades of “maximum pressure” and crippling sanctions have failed to achieve their objectives.
Despite unprecedented global restrictions—from UN Security Council resolutions to export limitations intentionally designed to prevent Iran’s technological progress—Iranians have achieved indigenous scientific and technological advancements, particularly in defense and nuclear energy. Therefore, the Iranian people should not be restricted but instead are the nation’s greatest asset to be empowered, nurtured, and allowed to flourish.
The second critical pillar of the opportunity-based paradigm for Iran is its surrounding region. With borders shared with fifteen countries, Iran occupies a unique Eurasian crossroads. More importantly, the region possesses deep, inseparable historical and cultural ties, woven over centuries by Iranian poets, mystics, philosophers, and scientists. These ties have endured through changing empires, invasions, and upheavals.
Yet, genuine regional cooperation has remained elusive. In decades of diplomatic activity, I have participated in initiatives that were always neutralized by a paradigm of mistrust and threat—from the Persian Gulf Security proposal during the Iran-Iraq war to the failed declaration of cooperation with neighbors on the southern Gulf coast after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and later initiatives such as the “Regional Dialogue Assembly,” the “Non-Aggression Pact,” the “Hormuz Peace Initiative (Hope Plan),” the “Muslims of West Asia Dialogue Association (MODA),” and the latest, the “Middle East Network for Atomic Research and Advancement (MENARA)”—all these initiatives were met with skepticism due to mutual distrust.
Recent Israeli provocations, however, have created a new awareness of shared vulnerability in the region. Now, a vital window of opportunity exists. Iran, along with Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the UAE, and Yemen—and potentially extending to Pakistan, Central Asia, and the Caucasus—should seize this opportunity. Under UN supervision, a new covenant can be established with a strategic transition from fragmentation to synergy. Shared energy corridors, robust non-proliferation and nuclear cooperation frameworks, economic cooperation, and cultural unity could become drivers of shared prosperity.
From the perspective of the opportunity-based paradigm, Iran, and even Russia and Turkey, can view the recent Washington-brokered agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia not as a threat but as an opportunity—a chance to revive the previous proposal for transit cooperation in the Caucasus between Iran, Russia, and Turkey, along with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The new agreement provides a global context that makes our 2019 regional initiative more feasible and sustainable. At the same time, it will create unprecedented investment opportunities for the private sector in the U.S. and other countries.
Perhaps due to Iran’s frustration with past experiences, the third pillar of the paradigm shift—global diplomacy—is the most challenging. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that Iran and the international community share existential interests in moving beyond those experiences and building a different future.
For decades, Iran has contributed significantly to global stability. As a founding member of the United Nations, it has initiated landmark efforts: the 1974 proposal for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons, the 1997 “Dialogue of Civilizations” initiative, and the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Unfortunately, major world powers have consistently thwarted these well-intentioned Iranian initiatives.
Historical patterns are clear: Western aggression toward the nationalization of Iranian oil in 1951 leading to the 1953 coup; support for Saddam Hussein’s aggression against Iran in 1980; actions enabling Israel to acquire hundreds of nuclear warheads; labeling Iran part of the “Axis of Evil” in 2002 despite Iran’s cooperation after 9/11; and relentless disinformation campaigns against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. Strikingly, this campaign has been pursued by Israel, which has refused to sign the NPT and is known to maintain a large, illicit nuclear arsenal.
The JCPOA saga symbolizes unfulfilled diplomatic promises. The 2015 agreement was praised worldwide as a diplomatic triumph, but Trump’s withdrawal three years later deeply undermined belief in diplomacy within Iran. Beyond crippling sanctions, Europe’s recent activation of the JCPOA dispute mechanism amid Israeli attacks on Iranian facilities is profoundly hypocritical.
For seven years, Europe systematically failed to fulfill its JCPOA and UN Security Council obligations. The core deal—economic normalization in exchange for verified nuclear compliance—collapsed when the U.S. exited the JCPOA, and Europe’s inability or unwillingness to implement even basic economic mechanisms, such as its proposed INSTEX channel (a tool to bypass U.S. sanctions), was exposed.
In response to U.S. and European non-compliance (France, Germany, and the UK) from 2017 to 2021, Iran lawfully activated its JCPOA remedial measures. Instead of adhering to diplomacy, the three European countries in June explicitly endorsed Israeli military attacks on Iran; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz even went so far as to say Israel is doing “the West’s dirty work.” Europe’s approval of war, followed by recourse to the JCPOA dispute mechanism for objectives that war had failed to achieve, further undermined Iran’s confidence in diplomacy.
Given this bitter historical record, convincing the Iranian people and government that diplomacy is a viable opportunity will be a major challenge. Yet the alternative—endless wars—would undoubtedly lead to the collapse of regional order, increased extremism, and chaos that would engulf West Asia and beyond. This path risks dragging the U.S. and the West into a historically significant quagmire.
The United States and Europe—not only Iran—have existential interests in encouraging the discussed paradigm shift. By choosing war amid negotiations, they have effectively closed the door to diplomacy. Now, the responsibility to change course lies with them if they expect reciprocal engagement from Iran. Iran, through participation in a multilateral, forward-looking, results-oriented dialogue, stands to gain significantly and avert immense hardships. The path ahead could include establishing a regional network for non-proliferation and peaceful nuclear cooperation (MENARA), potentially alongside a non-aggression agreement between Iran and the U.S.
We cannot ignore the past, nor should we stop learning from it. But we must avoid being imprisoned by our past failures; otherwise, we condemn ourselves to repeat a never-ending cycle of disasters.
Warmongers thrive by closing every window to diplomacy. We must seize the opportunity to prevent them from consolidating the destructive threat paradigm and extinguishing hope. The time for choice is now. The choice for Iran, the region, and global powers is clear: repeat the catastrophic past, or have the courage to build a shared future. Now is the time for a paradigm shift.