TEHRAN- Abbas Araghchi, the secretary of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, identified himself as former a member of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps during a meeting of the Parliament's National Security Committee, according to an Iranian lawmaker. 

Ebrahim Rezaee, the spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, provided insights into a meeting held with Araghchi on Monday morning. 

Araghchi is poised to assume leadership of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, pending a vote of confidence from Parliament soon. 

Rezaee informed, “Araghchi articulated in the session that his current worldview aligns with the perspectives he held during his tenure in the IRGC years ago.” 

Furthermore, Rezaee noted, “Araghchi emphasized the importance of implementing the parliamentary law on Strategic Action aimed at lifting sanctions and protecting national interests, asserting that this should guide negotiations with foreign entities.”

Araghchi outlined three primary objectives for the foreign policy domain, advocating for the advancement of national interests, the enhancement of national security and regional power, and the preservation and elevation of Iran’s dignity and standing. 

Araghchi previously served as a deputy head of political affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under former President Hassan Rouhani and played a pivotal role in the negotiations that culminated in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. His career began as an IRGC serviceman during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s before transitioning to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.