Amir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi, the Iranian presidential candidate from the conservative fundamentalist current, confirmed that his country's foreign policy will not change with a new president, stating that "relations with Iraq cannot be altered by any official as it is part of the Resistance Axis."
Qazizadeh Hashemi, who is the head of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans in the Iranian government, spoke to "Baghdad Today" about the nature of relations with Iraq and the region should he win the presidential elections: "Our relationship with Iraq is based on important and strategic constants that cannot be changed by any official."
He added, "Those who observe relations with Iraq know that there has been no change during the presidency of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, afterwards Hassan Rouhani, and during the late President Ebrahim Raisi's tenure, because we have a clear policy and a certain strategy outlined by various institutions in Iran regarding foreign relations with both neighboring and Western countries."
Hashemi stated, "We will continue to support Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine, and all the free people in the world," emphasizing that "Iraq is part of the Resistance Axis and this issue cannot be retracted any day."
Qazizadeh Hashemi stressed that "the cultural, popular, commercial, and economic ties between Iraq and Iran are not found with any other country," noting that "Iraq is a pivotal and strategic country in the region due to its human and economic capabilities."
Some reports indicate that Iranian foreign policy is shaped by other institutions, including the Revolutionary Guards, and that the foreign minister and the government merely act as an executive body. This was mentioned by former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in an interview that was leaked several years ago.
The Guardian Council has announced the approval of six candidates from among 80 individuals, which includes reformist candidate MP Masoud Pezeshkian and five candidates from the hardline fundamentalist current: "Saeed Jalili, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Ali Reza Zakani, Amir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi, and Mostafa Pour Mohammadi."
The early Iranian presidential elections will be held on June 28, following the death of the late President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran on May 19.
