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Abbas Araghchi

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Seyyed
Abbas Araghchi
عباس عراقچی
Araghchi in 2024
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 August 2024
PresidentMasoud Pezeshkian
Preceded byAli Bagheri (acting)
Acting Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In office
11 May 2013 – 28 August 2013
PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded byRamin Mehmanparast
Succeeded byMarzieh Afkham
Ambassador of Iran to Japan
In office
4 January 2008 – October 2011
PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad
Preceded byMohsen Talaei
Succeeded by
  • Majid Matlabi Shabestari (acting)
Ambassador of Iran to Finland
Accredited Ambassador to Estonia
In office
19 December 1999 – 6 September 2003
PresidentMohammad Khatami
Preceded byMahmoud Boroujerdi
Succeeded byJavad Kachoueian
Personal details
Born (1962-12-05) 5 December 1962 (age 63)[1]
Tehran, Imperial State of Iran[1]
Spouse(s)Bahareh Abdollahi (divorced)
Arezoo Ahmadvand
Children
  • Saeideh Sadat
  • Seyed Hossein
  • Seyed Reza
Awards
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Iran
BranchIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC
Service years
1979–1988[3]
ConflictIran–Iraq War

Abbas Araghchi[a][b] (born 5 December 1962)[5][6] is an Iranian diplomat and politician who has served as the foreign minister of Iran since August 2024.

Araghchi served for nine years with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during the Iran–Iraq War. He later served as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and as the Iranian ambassador to Finland and to Japan.

Early life and family

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Araghchi was born on 5 December 1962 in Tehran, Iran, to a Persian family. He has three sisters and three brothers. His father and grandfather were both carpet traders. His father died when he was 17. His two older brothers hold notable positions; one is a member of the Board of Directors of the Iran Carpet Exporters' Union, and the other is a member of the Carpet Sellers Union.[7] As a teenager, he took part in the Iranian Revolution.

His nephew Ahmad Araghchi was the Central Bank of Iran's deputy governor in charge of foreign exchange, but was dismissed from his post and subsequently arrested in 2018 amid an investigation into Iran's currency crisis.[8] In 2019, Ahmad Araghchi was living in the United States.[9]

Araghchi was first married to Bahareh Abdollahi.[10] They have two sons and a daughter, but they divorced.[7] He subsequently married his second wife, Arezoo Ahmadvand.[11]

Education

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Araghchi earned a bachelor's degree in Iran in international relations from the School of International Relations, run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He then obtained a master's degree in political science in 1991 from the Islamic Azad University in Tehran.[12] Additionally, Araghchi holds a Ph.D. in political thought in 1996 from the University of Kent with a thesis entitled The Evolution of the Concept of Political Participation in Twentieth-Century Islamic Political Thought (1996).[13][14][15] He was supervised by David McLellan, a scholar of Marxism.[16] He is fluent in Persian, Arabic and English.[17]

Military career

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Araghchi joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He served in the IRGC for nine years, and fought in the Iran–Iraq War.[18][12]

Political career

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1989–2005

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Araghchi joined Iran's foreign ministry in 1989. In 1992, he served as chargé d'affaires at Iran's permanent mission to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and in 1998–99 as director general of the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) of Iran's Foreign Ministry in Tehran.[1] From 1999 to 2003, he was ambassador to Finland.[1] He was dean of the School of International Relations of Iran's Foreign Ministry in Tehran from 2004 to 2005.[1]

2015–17

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Araghchi in 2016, as Deputy FM

Araghchi served as deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs from 2005 to 2007.[19] From 2008 to 2011, he was ambassador to Japan.[19] Between 2011 and 2013, he held the post of deputy foreign minister for Asia–Pacific and the Commonwealth Affairs.[20]

In 2013, he again became deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs and also served as the spokesperson for the ministry.[19] Araghchi acted as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator starting in 2013 in talks with the UN's P5+1, under president Hassan Rouhani[21] leading up to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between Iran and the United States; the US withdrew from the plan in 2018.

2017–24

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Araghchi in 2018

From 2017 to 2021, he served as political deputy at the foreign ministry. In August 2021, Araghchi was replaced as deputy foreign minister for political affairs and chief nuclear negotiator by Ali Bagheri, following the inauguration of president Ebrahim Raisi. State media reported that Araghchi's role was reduced to that of ministry adviser, a move analysts viewed as signalling a shift toward a more hardline approach in Iran's nuclear policy.[22][23]

Following his removal from the foreign ministry, Araghchi briefly withdrew from public life. In October 2021 he was appointed by council chairman Kamal Kharrazi as secretary of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, an advisory body to the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran. The appointment, viewed as unexpected by observers, restored his influence in foreign policy circles and positioned him closer to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's inner circle.[12]

Foreign minister (2024–present)

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See also: Foreign policy of the Masoud Pezeshkian administration
Araghchi at the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 7 July 2025

Araghchi was nominated to be president Masoud Pezeshkian's foreign minister on 11 August 2024.[24] He eventually became Minister of Foreign Affairs following approval by the Islamic Consultative Assembly on 21 August.[25]

On 7 October 2024, on the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, Araghchi's foreign ministry issued a statement praising the attack. It stated: 'The operation on October 7, 2023... was a turning point in the history of the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people against the occupation and oppression of the Zionist regime."[26]

Araghchi visited Syria on 1 December 2024. He asserted that: “the Syrian Army will ... be victorious over [the anti-Assad regime forces].”[27] However, just seven days later, on 8 December 2024, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government collapsed.[28]

Later that month he said that "2025 will be an important year regarding Iran's nuclear issue." This came as a reaction to Donald Trump's soon to start role as the new US president; talks of new economic sanctions; an inflation rate of 35% in Iran; and the Iranian rial's reaching an all-time low of 820,500 to the dollar.[29]

In January 2025, Araghchi met with Taliban leaders in Afghanistan. He became the first Iranian foreign minister to visit Afghanistan since 2017, and the first to visit since the Taliban takeover in 2021.[30] In April 2025, Araghchi was involved in indirect negotiations with the United States about Iran's nuclear program.[31]

Araghchi with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in November 2025

In late January 2025, Araghchi met with Hamas leadership following a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza war, to "hail the victory" of Hamas.[32] In September 2025, US President Donald Trump proposed that Iran might eventually join the Abraham Accords entered into by Israel and four Arab countries, presenting this as a potential pathway to regional peace in the aftermath of a Gaza peace plan in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Araghchi firmly rejected these remarks, describing them as "wishful thinking." He said that Iran would never recognize what he characterized as an "occupying regime" responsible for acts of genocide.[33]

Crackdown on 2025–26 Iranian protests

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During the 2025–2026 Iranian protests, which were met with brutal repression by the Iranian government, reportedly killing thousands of protesters, Araghchi claimed that Iran had "witnessed violent acts and terrorism in the style of the Islamic State," framing the protests as having been "sabotaged by terrorist elements." In an interview with NBC News on 28 February 2026, he maintained that the Islamic Republic had tolerated peaceful protests which were subsequently hijacked by 'terrorists' who even shot at the peaceful protestors themselves, prompting the Islamic Republic's security agencies to respond accordingly. He asserted that the peaceful protestors who died as a consequence of such terrorist activities were considered 'martyrs' by the Islamic Republic's government.[34] He criticized US statements on human rights in Iran, labeling them as "misleading and shameful."[35] When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, condemned the violent crackdown on protesters, Araghchi responded by accusing Germany of having "blatant double standards" concerning its recent support for Israel during the Gaza war, asserting that this stance "obliterated any shred of credibility."[36]

Araghchi referenced a fatal law enforcement shooting in Minneapolis to deflect international criticism of Iran's crackdown on anti-government protests. He criticized the U.S. government, asserting that it lacks moral authority to condemn Iran's domestic security measures while American agents are responsible for killings in U.S. cities.[37]

In mid-January 2026, reports emerged that Araghchi sent a personal message to Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, saying that Iran had canceled the planned execution of 800 anti-regime protesters. This communication reportedly played a key role in dissuading President Donald Trump from ordering immediate military strikes against Iran.[38]

On 21 January 2026, he stated that 3,117 people had been killed during the anti-government protests and the subsequent crackdown. However, external organizations and independent officials assert that the actual death toll is significantly higher.[39] Araghchi criticized Miriam Adelson for saying that Iran had been hiding executions that it carried out.[40][41]

World Economic Forum

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In January 2026, the World Economic Forum officially rescinded its invitation to Araghchi for the annual summit in Davos due to Iran's crackdown on protests. Araghchi blamed political pressure from Israel and its U.S. allies for the cancellation, calling the decision a result of "lies".[42]

On 23 January 2026, Araghchi publicly insulted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him a "confused clown" in a post on X. The escalation was triggered by Zelenskyy's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on 22 January, in which he criticized the Iranian government's crackdown on domestic protests and called for international intervention.[43]

2026 Iran war

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Main article: 2026 Iran war

In early February 2026, Araghchi stated that Iran would not agree to stop enriching uranium entirely.[44][45] He also said that Iran would not negotiate about its ballistic missile program or its proxy network, calling demands to discuss them "absolutely" off the table.[41]

On 25 February 2026, Araghchi said that a "historic" agreement with the United States to avert military conflict was "within reach" ahead of renewed talks in Geneva. He wrote that diplomacy must be prioritized to avoid further escalation. During high tensions and a significant US military buildup in the region, Araghchi wrote on social media that Iran held a "crystal clear" position against developing nuclear weapons, while defending its right to peaceful nuclear technology.[46]

Following the start of the 2026 Iran war on 28 February 2026, Araghchi condemned the attacks as "wholly unprovoked, illegal, and illegitimate", and said that Iran maintained a right to self-defense.[47] On 9 March, speaking to PBS News Hour, Araghchi called the American strikes "a failure" while vowing that Iran would fight "as long as it takes".[48]

On 14 March, Araghchi acknowledged the "good cooperation" of Russia and of China with Iran in the war. He noted that the two countries were aiding Iran in the war effort including by providing "military cooperation."[49]

After the announcement of the 2026 Iran war ceasefire, Araghchi participated in peace talks held in Islamabad on 11 April. These talks were face-to-face talks with one of the most high-level delegations sent by the United States.[50][51][52]

On 27 April 2026, Araghchi met with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss the war. Russia has supplied military intelligence to Iran, including satellite imagery showing the locations of U.S. warships and military personnel, according to American officials.[53]

Writing

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Araghchi's doctoral thesis argued that modern Islamic political thought has attempted to reconcile the doctrine of absolute supreme divine sovereignty with the concept of popular sovereignty by incorporating to the extent possible aspects of Western democratic theory into interpretation of Islamic principles, thereby developing a basis for democratic institutions within the framework of Islamic law; at the same time, rejecting the concept of democracy-liberalism.[54]

Araghchi has written books and articles in relation to diplomacy and international relations, including Negotiations: the Power of Diplomacy published in 2024 (translated into English in 2025 as The Power of Negotiation).[55][56]

Awards and honors

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Persian: عباس عراقچی [ʔæbˌbɒːse æɾɒːˈɢtʃi] ⓘ
  2. ^ Also spelled Araqchi,[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Deputy for Legal & International Affairs". Islamic Republic of Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  2. ^ "Iran's FM, nuclear chief, DM receive medals for role in nuclear deal". Iranian Students' News Agency. 8 February 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  3. ^ Marie Donovan; Paul Bucala & Caitlin Shayda Pendleton (15 June 2016), "Iran News Round Up: Former IRGC commander: Our ambassadors in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria are Quds Force members", AEI Critical Threats Project, with contributors Ken Hawrey and Shayan Enferadi, retrieved 10 September 2017
  4. ^ Hafezi, Parisa (11 April 2025). "Iran's 'master negotiator' tasked with averting war". Reuters. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  5. ^ "سید عباس عراقچی". cabinetoffice.ir.
  6. ^ "US-Iran peace hopes fade despite Araghchi's diplomatic push". Nikkei Asia. Reuters. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Biography of Abbas Araghchi and his wives Amir Ali Ahmadvand and Abdollahian". Abdi Media. 25 April 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Iran central bank forex chief arrested: judiciary". France 24. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  9. ^ Hajizade, Ali (12 January 2019). "While the Iranian regime's elite bash US, their children reap its benefits". Al Arabiya English. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  10. ^ Kia, Shahriar (13 August 2024). "Who is Abbas Araghchi: The Latest Figure in Iran's Authoritarian Foreign Policy Machine". NCRI. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  11. ^ Davar, Faramarz (24 November 2025). "Iran's Foreign Minister Faces Mounting Criticism Amid Diplomatic Isolation". iranwire.com. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  12. ^ a b c "Abbas Araghchi: Foreign Minister". UANI. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  13. ^ "Iran's president nominates Abbas Araghchi as foreign minister". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Iran's president nominates Abbas Araghchi as foreign minister". The Eastleigh Voice News. 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  15. ^ Araghchi, Seyed Abbas (2021). The evolution of the concept of political participation in twentieth-century Islamic political thought (Thesis). University of Kent. doi:10.22024/UNIKENT/01.02.86095.
  16. ^ Azodi, Sina (12 August 2024). "Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Experienced and 'Revolutionary' Incoming Foreign Minister • Stimson Center". Stimson Center. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Who is Iran's FM Seyyed Abbas Araghchi?". Pars Today. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  18. ^ خبرگزاری دانشجو (15 August 2024). "چالش‌ها و برنامه‌های عباس عراقچی برای وزارت امور خارجه: آیا وفاق ملی تحقق می‌یابد؟!" [The Challenges and Plans of Abbas Araghchi for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Will National Consensus Be Achieved?!]. خبرگزاری دانشجو (in Persian). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  19. ^ a b c Khachaturyan Konstantin. "Abbas ARAGHCHI". Center for Energy and Security Studies, Russia (in Russian). Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  20. ^ "سيدعباس عراقچي معاون آسيا و اقيانوسيه وزير خارجه شد" [Seyyed Abbas Araghchi became Asia–Pacific Deputy of Minister of Foreign Affairs]. Iranian Students' News Agency (in Persian). 24 December 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  21. ^ "Iran Demotes Top Nuclear Diplomat in Foreign Ministry Reshuffle". BNN Bloomberg. 14 September 2021. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Iran replaces top nuclear negotiator with hardliner Raisi protégé". France 24. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  23. ^ "Iran demotes chief nuclear negotiator". France 24. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
  24. ^ "Iran's president proposes an ex-nuclear negotiator as foreign minister. A woman is also on the list". Associated Press News. 11 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Iran's hard-line parliament approves all members of president's Cabinet, first time since 2001". Associated Press News. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Iran hails October 7 as 'turning point in history'". Arab News. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Iran vows continued support for Syria". Anadolu Ajansı. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  28. ^ "The Assad regime falls. What happens now?". Brookings. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  29. ^ "Iran says 2025 important year for nuclear issue". LBCIV7. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  30. ^ "Iran's foreign minister meets the Taliban in the first visit to Kabul in 8 years". AP News. 26 January 2025. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  31. ^ Wintour, Patrick (12 April 2025). "Iran and US agree to continue nuclear talks after first indirect round". The Guardian.
  32. ^ "Iran says foreign minister in Qatar to meet Hamas leaders". The Times of Israel. 30 January 2025.
  33. ^ "Iran dismisses possibility of joining Abraham Accords, normalizing ties with Israel". The Times of Israel. 12 October 2025.
  34. ^ "Full interview: Iranian foreign minister reacts to U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran". 28 February 2026 – via YouTube.
  35. ^ "Iran FM urges UN to oppose 'all foreign interference'". www.iranintl.com. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  36. ^ "Iran's regime is finished, predicts Merz". POLITICO. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  37. ^ "Iran's Foreign Minister Slams U.S. Over "Double Standards"". WANA News Agency. 11 January 2026.
  38. ^ "Iranian foreign minister's reassurance said to have tipped Trump away from strike". The Times of Israel. 18 January 2026.
  39. ^ "Iran says 3,117 killed in recent protests, issuing lower death toll than human rights activists". PBS News. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  40. ^ "Iran's FM denies report of mass executions by 'Miriam Adelson's mouthpiece'". Times of Israel. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  41. ^ a b Genn, James (12 February 2026). "Araghchi slams US-Israeli Miriam Adelson, accusing her of dual loyalties in antisemitic trope". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  42. ^ "Iran's Araghchi blames Israel after Davos speech scrapped over deadly crackdown". The Times of Israel. 20 January 2026.
  43. ^ "'Confused clown': Iranian FM lashes out at Zelensky after he slams protest crackdown". The Times of Israel. 23 January 2026.
  44. ^ Faucon, Benoit (7 February 2026). "Iran Refuses to End Nuclear Enrichment in Talks With U.S." The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  45. ^ "Iran will not accept zero enrichment under any circumstances". Mehr News. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  46. ^ Rowlands, Lyndal (25 February 2026). "Iran's FM says deal with US 'within reach'; Trump says he prefers diplomacy". Al Jazeera.
  47. ^ Khalil, Hafsa; Gritten, David (28 February 2026). "What we know about the joint US-Israel attack on Iran". BBC News. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  48. ^ "Iran's Araghchi calls U.S. strikes a 'failure' and vows to fight 'as long as it takes'". PBS News. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  49. ^ "Iran says Russia and China providing 'military cooperation'". POLITICO. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  50. ^ "US-Iran peace talks begin in Islamabad: Inside the 15-point proposal to end the six-week war". Zee News. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  51. ^ "Iranian duo set to lead US ceasefire talks were once on Israeli hit list". South China Morning Post. 10 April 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  52. ^ "Pakistani premier announces immediate ceasefire between US, Iran; plans Islamabad talks". Anadolu (in Turkish). 8 April 2026. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  53. ^ "Top Iranian Official Meets With Putin to Discuss the Mideast War". New York Times. 27 April 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  54. ^ Azodi, Sina (12 August 2024). "Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Experienced and 'Revolutionary' Incoming Foreign Minister • Stimson Center". Stimson Center. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  55. ^ Ben Ari, Lior (17 May 2025). "Master negotiator who 'drowns the devil in words': Iran's man in nuclear talks with US". Ynetglobal. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  56. ^ "Iranian Foreign Minister launches book on negotiation skills in Muscat before talks with US". The National. 26 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  57. ^ "2022 Spring Conferment of Decorations on Foreign Nationals" (PDF). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
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