The Iranian Embassy in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, is a large and beautiful building near the city center. It was opened 23 years ago in the presence of then-Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi, who is currently a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council.
Several Iranian experts and diplomats whom I talked to prior to my trip to Belarus noted that Tehran had viewed Minsk as a reliable and advantageous foreign policy partner long before the embassy was opened in 2001. Iran particularly appreciated Belarus’s refusal to submit to Western demands – this distinguished it from neighboring Ukraine, which heavily depended on the US and its interests already at that time.
Iran’s ambassador to Belarus, Alireza Sane’i, said that the Islamic Republic has not regretted its decision to strengthen ties with Belarus. The ambassador readily agreed to an interview in which he spoke about relations between Minsk and Tehran, shared his thoughts about the recent BRICS summit in Kazan, and discussed the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Iran and Belarus learn from Russia-Iran cooperation
RT: In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of Iran-Belarus relations?
Alireza Sane’i: Our political relations are exceptionally strong. We collaborate very well on all fronts. I’d like to add that our countries have a similar stance on issues such as human rights, environmental concerns, and many others.
About a year and a half ago, [Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko visited Iran, and I had the honor of accompanying him at all key meetings. At that time, he met with the supreme leader of Iran and the president of Iran. This visit marked a turning point in our relations. It sparked active efforts to build economic ties. We were primarily focused on developing infrastructure to boost trade, and also began cooperating in the field of logistics, customs, and the introduction of common standards. We signed numerous agreements, and our primary goal now is to implement them.
Of course, in order to do so, regular visits of high-level and top-level government delegations are necessary. And such visits regularly happen.
Last year, Iran’s vice president visited Belarus. Recently, our presidents held important discussions on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. Next on the agenda is a visit to Belarus by [Iranian President Masoud] Pezeshkian.
We have concluded strategic agreements regarding the supply of petrochemicals, essential equipment for power plants, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.
Our businesses are exploring each other’s capabilities and potential. To facilitate this, we have been organizing regular exhibitions for entrepreneurs, networking events for business leaders, and platforms for sharing experiences and concluding deals.
To gain a deeper understanding of Belarus and assess its potential, we’ve also made important visits to Vitebsk and Gomel regions. I myself had put on a worker’s uniform and descended 630 meters into the Belaruskali mine to demonstrate our serious commitment to collaboration.
Reflecting on the development of Belarus-Iran relations, I recall my work at the Iranian Embassy in Russia 12 years ago. Back then, our relations with Russia were in a nascent stage – just like the ones with Belarus today.
RT: So the goal is to bring relations between Tehran and Minsk to the same level of cooperation as between Tehran and Moscow?
Alireza Sane’i: Exactly.
On election interference
RT: The presidential election in Belarus is set for January 26, 2025. Do you expect any interference from the West?
Alireza Sane’i: Of course. As always, the collective West will try to meddle in this process. The presence of independent politicians in Belarus really irritates the United States. The opposition abroad has long been working to shape public opinion. As the election date approaches, Western agents will only intensify their efforts. Their primary goal will be to lower voter turnout so they can later claim the elections are illegitimate and refuse to acknowledge the results. They’ve done the same in Russia and in our country.
However, we witnessed a high voter turnout during the parliamentary elections in February 2024. It was over 70%, despite all Western efforts. This clearly shows that their attempts failed. I’m confident that Western tactics will also fail in the upcoming presidential election. It’s important to understand that the resistance comes from the Belarusian people, not the government.
Does this mean the West will back off? Not at all. They will undoubtedly ramp up their political pressure on Belarus. They will introduce new sanctions and talk about human rights violations. They have nothing new to offer.
RT: Why are they so stubborn? If sanctions don’t work, why do they impose them? Isn’t it illogical to keep knocking on a door that won’t open?
Alireza Sane’i: Their tactic is essentially a battle against the people. They seem intent on making life more difficult for ordinary people. They are addicted to the sanctions, it’s like a drug addiction. They can’t help but react this way. Moreover, they don’t have other means of influence. However, Western strategies often backfire. When sanctions are imposed, the targeted nation mobilizes its internal resources, revitalizes domestic production, and adopts policies geared toward self-sufficiency, ultimately growing stronger and more independent.
Take Iran, for example: in 1979, we couldn’t even produce barbed wire on our own. We struggled to equip our soldiers with boots and asked for assistance from Syria and North Korea. But after decades of sanctions pressure, we’ve developed hypersonic missiles and launched satellites into space.
During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the US prohibited other countries from selling us weapons. Today, they’re trying to stop those same nations from purchasing arms from us.
The world unites against the US
RT: Considering what you’ve just said, how do you assess the results of the recent BRICS summit held in Kazan?
Alireza Sane’i: Our analysts confirm that we are witnessing a shift from a unipolar world order to a multipolar one. This change is driven by the unfairness of the global order established after the Second World War. The dollar has become the world’s reserve currency, US influence has expanded globally, leaving no room for others. Countries like Iran, Russia, and China strongly oppose this. Organizations such as BRICS, the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), and the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) challenge this system. The summit in Kazan addressed several critical topics, including the hegemony of the dollar and the potential introduction of a BRICS currency or the creation of a currency fund akin to the IMF.
Additionally, discussions on establishing new logistics corridors that would not be affected by Western sanctions were on the agenda. One such initiative is the North-South Transport Corridor.
The fact that dozens of countries have applied to join BRICS indicates a growing dissatisfaction with the current world order. BRICS is a response to the sanctions. And in the future, the organization’s format may evolve further.
The reasons behind the tragedy in the Middle East
RT: Continuing with the door analogy, if we knock and no one answers, we’d likely walk away. Meanwhile, the West would force the door open. This is exactly what’s happening right now in the Middle East. How do you assess the situation in the region?
Alireza Sane’i: Iran’s stance is clear: the conflict in the Middle East has two roots. First, there’s the Israeli occupation, and second, the interference of the collective West.
The occupation has persisted for decades. After enduring so much suffering, the Palestinian people have a right to self-defense and to fight for their existence – just as the Soviet Union and its allies had the right to resist Nazi Germany and German occupation during World War II.
Without active Western intervention, countries in the Middle East could resolve their issues on their own. The same can be said for your region. You would have settled things with Ukraine if NATO didn’t interfere.
Ideology cannot die
RT: What do you think about the situation in Lebanon? Do you believe that Hezbollah can defeat Israel in this war?
Alireza Sane’i: Hezbollah is a very powerful political force which cannot be excluded from Lebanon’s political system. The leaders of this movement possess the wisdom and foresight to foresee certain events (such as the assassination of Resistance leaders).
They have numerous deputies. As we’ve seen, Hezbollah paused its activities only briefly, but then quickly recovered, mobilized [its resources], and resumed combat operations. Its missile launches and military actions demonstrate that the organization has been able to recover and even make progress.
Just like the sanctions, the assassinations of our leaders will yield no results. Rather, they only mobilize the people – this is what happened after the assassination of the first leader of Hezbollah, Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi.
Today, we see how Palestinian children pose for photos in armchairs, emulating [former chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau] Yahya Sinwar. Resistance is an ideology. It cannot be killed or wiped out.