Rooz Online spoke with Dr Hermidas Bavand, the respected Iranian specialist on international affairs, on the new US policy in the Middle East and Iran. He believes Iran has not taken the new US policy seriously and that the new agreement with Venezuela is just a propaganda exercise. Iran’s payment of six month salaries of the Palestinians is like rubbing salt into wound for the Iranian people.

Here are the excerpts.

Rooz (R): What do you think of the capture and detention of Iranian diplomats by the US?
Hermidas Bavand (HB): If these were really consular staff, then they enjoy immunity from arrest by international conventions, and so the US holds a responsibility there. But if they were mere staff of an economic or a political office, then the issue is different. But in any case, the event demonstrates the a new strategy by the US vis-à-vis the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is more of a warning to it. From now, Americans are not going to limit their actions to warnings and protests regarding Iran. They will respond. It appears that they want to focus on Iran and solve the Iraqi problem in this manner.

R: Why has the US chosen this new policy?
HB: They chose it because of their problems in Iraq, which is not new. It has been labeled “new”, but it is simply the use of military power for the same goal. They most likely increase their protests and will engage even in further so as to impact events in Iraq as well.

R: It is said that pinning Iran and the Arabs against each other is part of the new US policy. How serious is this?
HB: This confrontation shall be between Iran and a group of Arab countries. This is a new and a very serious strategy. Its impact will be clearer as it unfolds.

R: Can it be pursued?
HB: That depends on how Iran responds. In any case, there are two parallel issues: one is that the US believes Iran is interfering in Iraq or exacerbating the crises there, and now propagates the idea that Iranians are responsible for American deaths in Iraq; the other is the nuclear issue. The Americans have formulated their new policies around these two issues.

R: Has Iran taken this new strategy seriously?
HB: Other than the recent trip of Mr. Larijani to Saudi Arabia, Iran has not done anything about this. Their statements so far do not indicate that they have taken this strategy seriously.. Circumstances require that they take these events and changes more seriously.

R: What is the meaning of the 2 billion US Dollar agreement that Iran recently signed with Venezuela to provide assistance to anti-imperialist countries?
HB: Venezuela is a distant country and in the US courtyard. There is no meaning in this cooperation. It may have some psychological impact at best.

R: So the agreement has no practical value?
HB: Nothing at all.

R: So why did they sign it?
HB: You should ask them. Venezuela has nothing in common with us. It recognizes Israel, and has relations with it, including those with the US. While they are both members of OPEC, decisions there are group decisions. The largest producer usually has the biggest say. So this agreement is primarily a propaganda tool, without any practical impact. Such agreements cannot solve Iran’s problems.

R: What is your take of the agreement between Mahmoud Abbass and Ismael Hanieh?
HB: If an agreement to open a dialogue with Israel takes place and if they can solve their problems, tensions will be reduced in the Middle East.

R: Is this in line with Iran’s Middle East policies?
HB: They have nothing to do with Iran. They only make propaganda and financial use of Iran, and do whatever is in their interest. They have always been after their own interests and have no need to get permission from Iran for anything.

R: But Iran announced that it would pay the salaries of Palestinian Administration staff for 6 months, while there are Iranian workers who have not been paid their salaries for over a year now.
HB: This decision by Iranian officials has no justification whatsoever. This money is simply gone from Iranian coffers with absolutely no returns for the Islamic Republic of Iran. All they want to do is make propaganda and financial use of this.

R: What is the impact of this gesture inside Iran?
HB: In view of the growing problems that Iranian people face every day, and the government’s inability to resolve them, this assistance is like rubbing salt into the wounds of the Iranian people.