Amidst the cascading tensions in the Middle East following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh by Israel and vows of ‘revenge’ in Tehran, the new government under President Massoud Pezeshkian, sworn in on Tuesday, made its first move on Thursday. Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was appointed as the ‘Strategic Deputy’ of the Iranian president entrusting him with the responsibility of the Center for Strategic Studies (CSS).

The CSS is the research arm of the president’s office. Zarif’s appointment signifies his return to the foreign policy arena and Pezeshkian’s high estimation of his unique credentials to chariot Tehran’s Track 1.5 diplomacy.

Zarif’s long exposure to the American policymaking circles during his extended tenure as ambassador to the UN and his active social networking in New York are his strategic assets. Zarif is a familiar face and is highly regarded in the western capitals.

Pezeshkian prioritised Zarif’s appointment; he’s yet to announce his choice of foreign minister. Zarif’s return to the diplomatic circuit cannot but be seen as a signal to the Western powers. There is a paradox here. While Iran factors in that the US would lose heavily from any direct military confrontation, the fact remains that it is only the Americans and the Europeans who are able to stop a full-fledged war in the region in the developing crisis situation.

This also seems to be Moscow’s line of thinking. In a phone conversation with Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “called on all parties without exception that could influence the situation in the Gaza Strip and in the Middle East in general to avoid actions that could result in further destabilisation of the situation and new casualties among the civilians” — per the Russian readout. [Emphasis added.]

In remarks at the Majlis on Tuesday after the swearing-in ceremony,........

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