Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, will not reform the Islamic Republic’s internal political system. Instead, he will pursue reformation of the global order — hand-in-hand with China and Russia.

Take his word for it. One week after his election, Pezeshkian published an opinion column in the Tehran Times, outlining the vision for his presidency. His words are calculated, courting European countries while criticizing America for exiting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018. He denies the pursuit of nuclear weapons in Iran’s military doctrine while criticizing America for “abusing” the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The key to Pezeshkian’s message, though, is neatly tucked away in the middle of his column. “China and Russia have consistently stood by us during challenging times,” he writes. “We deeply value this friendship.”

The Islamic Republic indeed values China and Russia for providing the regime with the cash flows necessary to circumvent Western sanctions. Iran has been supplying Russia with drones and missiles to wage its war of aggression on Ukraine. This........

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