Rouhani: For 40 Years We Have Not Reached a Conclusion on Engagement or Confrontation with the World

Hassan Rouhani acknowledged that the Islamic Republic has not clarified its position for 40 years regarding engagement or confrontation with the world. The Iranian president said that if these differences of opinion continue, there is no alternative but a “referendum by the people.”

Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, noting that the Islamic Republic has for more than 40 years not provided a “clear and decisive answer” to the question of whether it will choose “engagement or confrontation with the world,” described a “referendum by the people” as the only solution to this type of disagreement.

Rouhani, speaking today Wednesday, October 24, at Tehran University, described the question of “engagement or confrontation with the world” as a “strategic and fundamental issue of the country” and said: “For 41 years in our country, we have still not reached a clear and decisive answer in this regard. One group says we should have constructive engagement and another group says we should have continuous and permanent confrontation with the world. Some believe that solving problems with the world has no way but becoming stronger and defeating the opposing side.”

According to IRNA, Rouhani continued: “Some say our enemy is vile, we must confront him, we must strike and kill or be killed, but another group says no, many of our problems can be solved with the world.”

The Iranian president also, stating that “the dispute is not over the JCPOA, but over a bigger issue,” said: “Some say ‘by negotiating with foreigners, you are wasting time and squandering precious years, we must be strong and threaten them and foreigners will bow down to us and kiss our hand and it will all be over,’ but another group says ‘no, that is not the way, continuous war will not lead to a result.'”

“Referendum” as “the only solution”

Hassan Rouhani, in another part of his remarks, considered the “growth and development” of the country impossible without engagement with the world and said: “Even during sanctions, we manage life in one way. We help you. You help us. We all join hands, but growth and development without relationship and engagement with the world is impossible. If banks, exports and imports are blocked and then you say you want to develop the economy, how is that possible?”

Rouhani, stating that “we are in difficult circumstances,” added: “Even now as we run the country, we must thank neighboring countries or some friendly countries in the world that have ignored the sanctions and continue to work with us.”

The Iranian president, also referring to the necessity for universities to engage in “strategic issues,” said: “If in these strategic matters we have debated for years but not reached a conclusion, we must turn to a referendum by the people. We have no other way. We cannot just quarrel with each other. We have been debating with each other for 40 years. We must choose a path.”

Rouhani emphasized the necessity of determining the nature of the Islamic Republic’s relationship with the world at a time when the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic not only has banned any negotiations with the United States, but recently called Europe “vile” and called for “cutting off hope” from European countries.

Ali Khamenei, on the tenth of last month, stating that “hegemonists want, according to themselves, to turn Iran into a normal country, meaning conforming to the mechanism of the hegemonic system,” again explained the main orientation of the Iranian government and said that the Islamic Republic will continue the “revolutionary path and confrontation with hegemonists.”

Despite the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic declaring negotiations with the United States “at any level” forbidden, Hassan Rouhani has repeatedly said that he is ready for negotiations if “sanctions are lifted.” The Iranian president, hours before the Supreme Leader’s speech on the tenth of last month, had said that he “cooperated” with Europeans in pursuit of negotiations with the United States, but the White House “obstructed” it.

Elections as the “best way to break extremism”

Hassan Rouhani, in another part of his remarks today, also referred to the elections for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and said: “Despite all its flaws and shortcomings, the ballot box is the best way. To break extremism, it is the ballot box. To reform society, it is the ballot box. For meritocracy, it is the ballot box. For the rightful views of the people to prevail, it is the ballot box. We have no other way.”

Rouhani, stating that “one of the most important issues this year should be the elections,” added: “Whoever deems themselves worthy should run, whether elected or not, whether it is said you are qualified or not.”

Rouhani’s reference in this part of his remarks is to the Guardian Council’s review of the qualifications of election candidates. Rouhani’s recent remarks in which he called the first parliament “the best parliament in the entire history of the Islamic Revolution,” which he said had no oversight like today and even the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization participated in it, faced severe criticism from defenders of “supervisory approval” and the Guardian Council.

In this context, the spokesman for the Guardian Council characterized Rouhani’s remarks as a call for “non-compliance with the law,” and Ahmad Khatemeh, temporary Friday prayer leader of Tehran, also mentioned them as remarks that “smell of polarization.”

Student Protest Gathering Simultaneously with Rouhani’s Speech

Rouhani’s speech today, at the formal opening ceremony of the academic year of universities and research centers, was also accompanied by margins. A group of student activists held a protest gathering simultaneously with this speech at Tehran University.

Students in this gathering, holding placards, including protesting the sentencing of a number of students to a total of 100 years in prison, the “militarization” of universities and the increase in university privatization, and called for the release of imprisoned students.

On the other hand, reports have been published about the protest of a number of members of the student Basij, according to which, during Rouhani’s speech, a number of these individuals left the session as a sign of protest. The Farsi News Agency, while announcing this news, wrote: “Some of the protesting students expressed their protest against the government’s lack of criticism and also the non-allocation of a podium to student organizations in the ceremony by taping their mouths.”

This news agency affiliated with Iranian security institutions added: “The protesting students believed that the students who spoke in the presence of the president were not true representatives of the students.” According to Farsi, “the poor reception by students of Hassan Rouhani’s speech and empty seats in the lecture hall were notable points of today’s program.”

However, Hassan Rouhani, who one of his election promises in the 2013 presidential elections was to eliminate the “security atmosphere” in universities and lift the ban on excluded students, made no reference in his remarks today to the arrest of students and other demands of the gatherers.

Source: DW