Abbas Araghchi’s Resistance Diplomacy – A Front for IRGC Control

(New York, NY) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is in New York for the UN General Assembly (UNGA) accompanying the Islamic Republic’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian on a visit they hope will present a more positive picture of the regime to the West. Today, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) urges the U.S. and its allies to not be taken in by their deceptive approach. Araghchi, who presents himself as a moderate diplomat, remains closely tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its elite Quds Force, which continues to drive the regime’s foreign policy and terror-supporting agenda. Despite his polished persona, Araghchi is the architect of a doctrine called “resistance diplomacy,” which balances dialogue with the West and unwavering support for Iran’s terrorist proxies.

Araghchi’s career, which includes serving as a key negotiator during the JCPOA talks, has been marked by his deep affiliation with the IRGC. His participation in the Iran-Iraq War and service in the Quds Force highlight his enduring loyalty to the regime’s hardline elements. His diplomatic aims are to secure sanctions relief while expanding the influence of the IRGC and its proxies, including Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. This dualist approach is designed to deceive Western leaders into granting concessions while Iran consolidates its regional power.

Araghchi’s presence at UNGA is a clear sign that he will attempt to leverage his relationships with Western diplomats to restart talks, despite his continued coordination with Quds Force commanders like Esmail Qaani. His tenure as foreign minister has thus far shown only superficial changes in Iran’s foreign policy, with the same goals of regional dominance and military expansion set by the IRGC and Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Araghchi’s diplomatic overtures are a front for the IRGC’s ambitions. Western leaders should not be misled by his reputation as a “moderate.” His “resistance diplomacy” is merely a tool to bolster the regime’s proxies and secure sanctions relief, reinforcing Iran’s destabilizing agenda.

To read UANI’s profile of Abbas Araghchi, please click here.