Iran's Identity Beyond the Battlefield: Veteran Diplomat Rejects "United Arab Front" Narrative, Says US Unlikely to Launch Ground War
In a wide-ranging interview published by Shargh Daily, veteran Iranian diplomat and academic Dr. Seyyed Ahmad Kazemi Mousavi argued that Iran's civilizational identity remains intact despite recent military confrontations, while cautioning that diplomacy must not be overshadowed by battlefield developments.
Speaking to Shargh Daily in a conversation titled "War, Iran, and the Redefinition of Identity," Mousavi — who has served in Iranian diplomatic missions in Canada, the United States, Iraq, and Egypt, and taught at universities including Maryland, Virginia, and George Washington — pushed back against the notion that recent conflicts have marginalized Iran's cultural narrative in favor of a purely military one.
"Cultural Iran has not been marginalized," Mousavi told Shargh Daily, pointing to Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif's recitation of Saadi's poetry during President Pezeshkian's recent visit to Islamabad as evidence that Iran's civilizational capital remains vibrant in regional relations.
Addressing speculation about a united Arab front forming against Tehran, Mousavi firmly rejected the premise. "I have been and am opposed to this from the beginning," he told Shargh Daily, noting that Oman has maintained friendly ties, Egypt has pursued de-escalation through Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati, and Iraq's religious and cultural connections continue to provide Iran with significant regional influence.
On the question of a potential US ground invasion or seizure of Iranian strategic islands, Mousavi offered a measured assessment. "America is not interested in a ground war in Iran and suffering massive casualties in the Middle East," he stated in the Shargh Daily interview, citing the enduring political memory of US losses during the Iraq War under George W. Bush. While acknowledging that limited air strikes against infrastructure remain possible, he emphasized that Washington appears to be seeking a gradual reduction of its direct military presence in the region.
Mousavi stressed that any military success must be underpinned by economic strength. "No military success will be sustainable without relying on the economy, development, and construction," he told Shargh Daily, drawing parallels to Nader Shah Afshar's conquests, which failed to translate into lasting prosperity.
On negotiations with Washington, Mousavi advocated realism. "The essence of negotiation is based on compromise," he told Shargh Daily, noting that recent talks have focused primarily on uranium enrichment rather than Iran's missile program or regional proxies. He also cautioned against over-reliance on Eastern powers, revealing that "even China has repeatedly advised Iran to improve its relations with Europe."
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Mousavi urged Iran to act within the framework of international law while protecting national rights, warning against allowing the waterway to become a source of pressure on Iran itself.
Concluding his remarks to Shargh Daily, the nearly 90-year-old diplomat invoked the poet Hafez, reminding readers that "in the field of politics, there are thousands of strategies and subtleties," and called for balance between military capability, diplomatic rationality, economic development, and cultural engagement as the path forward for Iran.
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