The Iranian Parliament wields limited influence over foreign policy, and Iranian parliamentarians, for the most part, parrot the official slogans of the regime and seldom engage in analytical debates with journalists. Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a political scientist and member of the parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, is an exception. To the extent his statements reflect the prevailing analysis among Iran’s ruling elites rather than his viewpoints, the United States is facing a self-confident and assertive regime.

• May 21: Reformist Shargh Daily published an interview between journalist Abd al-Rahman Fath-Allahi and Ardestani:
  • Commenting on Iran’s response to Israel’s bombing of the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, Ardestani said: “Iran’s firm, decisive, and fast – but also intelligent –response to the Zionists to some extent also helped Iran’s diplomacy. We must accept that at the regional level, our foreign policy is at odds with that of the Zionist regime, and beyond our region, it is in conflict with that of the United States … Our decisive response to Israel improved our bargaining position and made the Americans negotiate with us in Oman to maintain the level of tensions at the present level and avoid escalation. In this context, the late Amir-Abdollahian did his utmost to have our foreign policy on the track of de-escalation.”
  • Turning to the nuclear issue and negotiations to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal, Ardestani said: “Ali Bagheri Kani, the deputy foreign minister and senior negotiator, was in charge of the nuclear negotiations … However, the late Amir-Abdollahian also did his best to advance the negotiations, just as with those in Oman. However, fundamentally, nuclear negotiations are not planned by the Foreign Ministry, and higher positions make those decisions … The late Amir-Abdollahian and Mr. Bagheri Kani were merely executing decisions reached at higher levels.”
  • Discussing conflicts between Amir-Abdollahian and former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Ardestani continued: “Well, it is possible that Mr. Amir-Abdollahian or Mr. Bagheri Kani changed their opinions once they took over executive positions in the Foreign Ministry and were responsible for negotiations … This is only natural. However, I must emphasize that the late Amir-Abdollahian, Mr. Zarif before him, and anyone else were merely executing decisions taken by the Supreme National Security Council.”
  • Ardestani further proposed pursuing diplomacy backed by the nuclear bomb: “Based on our experiences under the tenures of Zarif and the late Amir-Abdollahian, we ought to get the nuclear bomb as soon as possible so we have diplomacy backed by force, which will help our future foreign ministers … U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo … was once asked: ‘Why are you imposing a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and not North Korea?’ He responded that North Korea has the nuclear bomb, and the United States cannot afford a crisis with a nuclear power.”