Ending the War and Sustaining the Peace Requires a New Approach to Regional Security - A Note by Mohammad Javad Zarif in Foreign Affairs.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, former Foreign Minister and head of the Payab think tank, wrote in Foreign Affairs:

If this region can establish shared and meaningful institutions, it can experience unprecedented development. This region possesses abundant natural resources, deep-rooted civilizations, and young, educated populations.

Iran alone has a vast territory, advanced scientific expertise, and world-class human capital. The Arab countries offer unparalleled financial, investment, and managerial capacities, along with global trade networks.

Pakistan and Turkey also bring significant industrial capabilities, strategic weight, and considerable connectivity.

West Asia does not need to remain a prisoner of its turbulent past. The recent confrontations have not only revealed the catastrophic costs of conflict but also exposed the fundamental limitations of the policy of pressure.

Washington and the Arab countries must accept that Iran is a permanent fixture in the regional landscape, and this neighborhood cannot achieve stability by eliminating it.

At the same time, Iran must accompany its restored confidence by opening a path of goodwill toward its neighbors, and pursue security not only through deterrence but also through common cooperation. And the world must accept that lasting stability cannot be injected into West Asia from the outside, nor imposed by pressure. This stability must be shaped by the will and agency of the region's nations and governments.