Iranian conservative says the US needs Iran
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian conservative Amir Mohebian discussed why he believes Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is pessimistic about the nuclear negotiations, how US policy in the Middle East has benefited Iran and how the United States is now in a position where it needs Iran to deal with regional issues.
Amir Mohebian is one of the most well-known conservative voices of the last two decades. He rose to prominence as a critic of the Reformists after the election of Mohammad Khatami in 1997. A professor of Western philosophy at Islamic Azad University, Mohebian was also one of the editors of the conservative newspaper Resala and established the Arya Center for Strategic Studies, a think thank. He is currently editor in chief of the Arya News Agency.
Mohebian is one of the founders of the Modern Thinkers Party of Islamic Iran, which is considered a modernist, moderate conservative party. The Modern Thinkers supports social justice and freedom and tries to resolve problems through dialogue with the political elite. The party defends pro-poor policies with the goal of reducing poverty and discrimination in Iran.
Mohebian is a moderate figure among the Principlists. State-run TV channels often invite him to debate Reformist figures, and student organizations approach him to talk on various issues.
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Mohebian said that US Middle East policy in the last 10 years has benefited Iran. He also asserted that Iran’s regional power is a “reality” that the United States should accept, because Washington is now in a position where it needs Iran. He further stated that if a nuclear deal is reached, Iran’s ability to export gas could have the effect of forcing Russia to change its policies.
