In an interview with Foreign Policy, he argued that decades of US confrontation and pressure, from Obama-era sanctions to Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign, have failed to achieve their goals.
Zarif proposed that regional cooperation, not coercion, is the path forward.
He pointed to his previous initiative for a 3+3 regional consortium, including Iran, Russia, Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, as a model for fostering security and prosperity, suggesting even American companies could participate.
While acknowledging Iran suffered damage from recent attacks by the US and Israel, Zarif said the country proved it is “not a cost-free target” by standing firm against acts of aggression by nuclear-armed powers.
He reiterated that Iran is not seeking a nuclear bomb and stated the 2015 nuclear deal had definitively proven this peaceful intent.
Zarif disclosed that during the height of US-Iran tensions, intermediaries close to Donald Trump had approached him with informal proposals, some of which he described as “surreal.”
He also commented on Benjamin Netanyahu’s influence over US foreign policy, suggesting that the Israeli prime minister had “outsized sway” in shaping Washington’s stance toward Tehran.
The former diplomat concluded that building a different future is possible but requires both sides to move beyond failed policies of the past.