TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Paris on Wednesday, attempting diplomacy amidst a dangerously escalating crisis where his country and the wider region have been subjected to an unrelenting vise imposed by the West, fuelling a growing conviction across West Asia, after almost two years of failed diplomatic efforts, that a more heavy-handed response is required against the Europeans, the Americans, and their sponsored proxy, Israel.

Araghchi’s visit in itself— coming after a stop in the Netherlands to address the 30th Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention at OPCW headquarters in The Hague — suggests that Iran is still bent on utilising diplomacy regarding both its disputes with the West and the growing instability in West Asia. The current perilous state is largely the result of unbound and nonstop Israeli aggression, enabled by the political, diplomatic, and military backing of the West, particularly the United States.

The visit has already drawn alarmed reactions from conservative factions within Iran. During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, a bloc of lawmakers told Araghchi to bear in mind the "criminal" character of the U.S. and its European allies.

Opposition to engagement with the West has sharpened dramatically since the June war, when U.S. and Israeli strikes hit Iranian territory over a 12-day campaign — killing around 1,100 Iranians and damaging nuclear, civilian and military infrastructure — just as Tehran was preparing to attend a sixth round of nuclear negotiations with Washington.

After the war, the E3 (France, Germany and the UK) took the helm of a new pressure campaign. In late August, they activated a mechanism to reinstate pre-JCPOA UN sanctions against Iran. This month they helped Washington craft a resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) demanding that Iran permit UN inspectors access to the battered nuclear sites, while omitting any mention of the unlawful U.S.-Israeli strikes.

These European moves have precipitated a steep erosion of credibility among Iranians, who increasingly depict the UK, Germany and France as instruments of Washington, no longer able to pursue an independent foreign-policy course.

Dr. Abdolreza Faraji Rad, a professor of geopolitics and Iran’s former ambassador to Norway and Hungary, says it is laudable that Iran continues to pursue diplomacy despite everything that has transpired.

"Tehran does not shy away from diplomacy. This is vital because, after the West’s repeated displays of bad faith, continuing to adhere to diplomatic channels is a difficult task for anyone," he explained. “Iran is being both responsible and active.”

The professor added that Iran’s ultimate goal is the restoration of regional stability, and to that end it is willing to engage with any legitimate party it believes could be effective, while maintaining its firm stance. "I don't think this visit will be a game-changer, but it can certainly yield positive outcomes."

As of Wednesday evening, no official account had disclosed the specifics of the Iranian minister’s discussions with his French counterpart, who had extended the invitation. The Tehran Times, however, understands Iran was likely to prioritize the pressing regional issues, focusing most importantly on Israeli attacks across Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, while addressing the Iranian nuclear saga to a lesser extent.

Israel began an unprecedented military campaign against Palestinians in Gaza after Resistance groups penetrated the occupied territories in October 2023, marking a historic humiliation for the regime and taking captives to Gaza.

Israeli military actions in the enclave have been labelled a genocide by rights and legal bodies, characterized by the mass killing of Palestinian men, women and children, a famine induced by a total siege, and the wholesale destruction of civilian infrastructure.

A ceasefire that took effect in October saw the Hamas Resistance return Israeli captives — or the bodies of those killed in Israeli bombardments. Israel, however, has repeatedly violated the truce from the outset: it continues to kill Palestinians on a daily basis and has largely maintained the famine-inducing siege.

Another truce Israel has been violating is the one it signed with Lebanon’s Hezbollah in November 2024. Continued violations have unnerved the Resistance group, which has so far refrained from retaliating. But a recent attack — in which Israeli jets struck southern Beirut and assassinated a senior Hezbollah commander — has heightened fears that Hezbollah may be compelled to respond. Israel seeks Hezbollah’s disarmament; its ultimate aim may be the establishment of a “Greater Israel,” a vision of a Jewish state encompassing territories of several Arab countries, including all of Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he “absolutely” subscribes to this infamous vision during an interview he did in August.

“When it comes to Lebanon, Iran, the Lebanese government and France seem to share the same position,” Dr. Faraji Rad explained. “All three view Hezbollah — and questions about its disarmament — as a domestic matter to be resolved by the group and the Lebanese state, not by Israel and the U.S. In the meantime, they warn that continued Israeli attacks could spark a larger regional conflagration or domestic confrontations inside Lebanon.”

Israel has attacked Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, Yemen, and Qatar in the past two years. It has also attacked vessels looking to deliver food and medical aid to Gaza on international waters.