"Mediation is not important, result is important": Dy Representative of Iran's Supreme Leader on efforts to end West Asia conflict

Emphasising that outcomes of the negotiations between Washington and Iran matter more than the process, the Deputy Representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in India, Dr Mohammad Hossein Ziyaeenia, on Monday said that the effectiveness of mediation should be judged by its results, not by the country facilitating it, amid discussions over Pakistan's role as the mediator for the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a complete solution to the hostilities in West Asia.

Emphasising that outcomes of the negotiations between Washington and Iran matter more than the process, the Deputy Representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in India, Dr Mohammad Hossein Ziyaeenia, on Monday said that the effectiveness of mediation should be judged by its results, not by the country facilitating it, amid discussions over Pakistan's role as the mediator for the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a complete solution to the hostilities in West Asia. During an interview with ANI, Ziyaeenia said that he was not aware of the decision-making process behind selecting Pakistan as a mediator, noting that there were several countries that had previously taken on mediation roles between the US and Iran.

"I have no idea about this because this is the decision that has been made in the level that they are responsible for deciding who will be the mediator, who will be the person, the country is able and capable of taking this responsibility. Before that, we witnessed that Oman was there, Qatar was there, and Turkey was there. At one time, I remember more than 12 years ago Iraq was there, Austria was there. Many countries have been there for this mediation," he said, when asked about Tehran choosing Pakistan as the mediator. Highlighting the importance of outcomes over process, he said, "This time, Pakistan is there. But why was it suggested? Who suggested this? Personally, I'm not aware of these aspects of negotiations. But we hope that these negotiations go in this direction that brings permanent peace. The mediation is not important; the result is important."

Ziyaeenia stressed that Iran seeks lasting stability in the region, including in Lebanon, which has also seen severe destruction, particularly in the southern part, due to Israeli aggression against Hezbollah. "We put in the conditions that permanent peace should be observed in Lebanon. So this is for peace not only in Iran but also in all the region," the deputy representative said.

He also raised concerns about the credibility of past ceasefire agreements with the US, referring to a previous truce which took place after Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and the subsequent US intervention. "As you saw, 10 months ago we had the ceasefire; we accepted the ceasefire, but they were not committed to their promise, they were not committed to their terms, and they were not committed even to the negotiations," Ziyaeenia said.

The Deputy Representative underlined that any future agreement must ensure guarantees for sustained peace and not serve as a temporary measure. "The result is important whether it has the guarantee for permanent peace in the region or just it's a trick and a fraud for the next attack on Iran," he added. (ANI)