The name of the possible new Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, was announced on Sunday by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Araghchi could therefore succeed Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, assuming he receives the approval of Parliament and Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei. As a reminder, his predecessor died in a helicopter crash in May 2024 alongside former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Abbas Araghchi is a seasoned diplomat with more than thirty years of experience in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Born on December 5, 1962, in Tehran, he holds a Ph.D. in International Law from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom.
Just like many other Iranian political figures, Araghchi was a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). His diplomatic career began shortly after the war ended, in 1989. He first served as Iran’s Ambassador to Finland from 1999 to 2003, and later as Ambassador to Japan from 2007 to 2011. He then became Deputy Foreign Minister under the moderate President Hassan Rouhani from 2017 to 2021.
But more importantly, Araghchi gained widespread recognition as one of the key figures in the negotiations that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), before it was dismantled by the Trump administration three years later. His appointment as Foreign Minister by Pezeshkian could signal a desire to ease tensions with the West.
Just like the Iranian President, Araghchi is viewed as one of the “moderate” political figures in Iran, aiming to protect his country’s interests while seeking viable compromises with other stakeholders. These skills will be crucial for him if his appointment is approved, in a particularly volatile context, not only regionally in relation to Israel and the West but also domestically, where he will have to deal with the hardline factions within his own government.
