Author: Saba Samushia
On May 14, the de facto president of the occupied Tskhinvali region, Alan Gagloev, met with the General Director of the Charitable Association for the Development of Science and Technology of Iran, Seyed Mahmoud Reza Sajjad, and the President of Stroiprogress, Albert Jusoev. The mentioned event is interesting in that the Tskhinvali region was visited for the first time by such a high-level Iranian guest.
At the meeting, which was also attended by the de facto Prime Minister Konstantin Jusoev, Gagloev emphasized the short history of South Ossetia and the importance of recognition of independence by Russia in 2008. In addition, he expressed his desire for mutually beneficial cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran. For his part, Reza Sajjad welcomed the efforts made for the economic growth of South Ossetia and noted Iran's readiness to contribute to the implementation of these efforts by promoting the economic and industrial sectors.
Alan Gagloev and Reza Sajjad
Scientific Career
Sajjad, who is quite rightly considered one of the most accountable political figures in the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a specialist in high technology. After graduating from the Faculty of Electronic Engineering at the University of Tehran, Reza Sajjad started working in Iran's high-tech sector in 1983 and soon founded the Bureau of Technological Cooperation under the Office of the President of the Republic, of which he became the first head. In his scientific file, information can be found that Sajjad was also a member of the board of trustees of the Iranian Polymer and Petrochemical Research Center, and it was he who played a major role in the development of Iran's nanotechnology industry.
Diplomatic Career in Russia
Sajjad held the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Russian Federation from 2009 to 2013. It is significant that until 2018, Sajjad was actively writing on his own blog, where he published articles on Iranian history, culture, economy, art, and science, as well as Persian language and literature. It is in this blog that we read how friendly he is towards Russia and "its extraordinary inhabitants."
A superficial analysis of Sajjad's records is enough to conclude that he is in favor of deepening the economic and political relations between Russia and Iran. According to his assessment, US efforts to destroy Russian-Iranian relations should not yield results, because these two peoples, especially businessmen, need to get closer in the economic sphere (and not only). It is likely that it was for this purpose that Sajjad put forward the idea of establishing the "Russia-Iran Friendship Society," the charter of which—according to his own assertion—he himself worked on.
Although Sajjad's later positions are clearly pro-Russian, there is a 2011 statement in which the Iranian ambassador openly criticizes Russia for its actions. In particular, in August 2011, 'China Daily,' 'Fars News Agency,' and 'Enduring America' published articles in which it was stated that Ambassador Sajjad confirmed Iran's filing of a lawsuit against Russia in the International Court of Justice, which was due to the non-delivery of S-300 type missiles. In addition, Sajjad openly criticized Gazprom for delaying the replenishment of Iran's oil reserves. According to Sajjad, "Russian companies have caused great losses to the Iranian people, and such an approach by Russia poses a threat to the relations between the countries." However, in the article by 'Ria Novosti,' we read that already in 2013, the ambassador approved of Russia's positions in the Middle East and called the sending of peacekeeping forces by Russia to the Golan Heights a "constructive" and "rational" idea.
Thoughts of Sajjad
The type of statements Sajjad made after leaving the position of ambassador also deserves analysis. In the articles of 'Tasmin News Agency' and 'News Agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran,' Sajjad's statements are frequently published, which once again emphasizes the importance of his figure in Iran (the importance of Sajjad's figure can be seen in his full name. In Iran, 'Seyed' is considered as an honorary title given to the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. The title is necessarily passed down through the father's line and the principle applies: "You can be a Sayyid if your father is a Sayyid").
It is significant that Sajjad mainly states his positions in three directions: Iran's economy, Iran's nuclear policy, and regional security. In the context of security, his attitude towards the Syrian issue is particularly noteworthy. For example, in a 2018 statement, Sajjad argued that "Russia, Iran, and Turkey must stay together to help liberate and rebuild Syria, or it will end up in the hands of Saudi Arabia and the United States." In the same statement, he explains that before the Iranian revolution, the Shah was a puppet of America; that Iran will no longer allow itself to fall under American influence and that it will protect regional security. As for bilateral relations between Russia and Iran, according to Sajjad, political relations are maintained at a "very good level," but cooperation in the fields of economy and media remains weak, which needs to be worked on. In the same year, in an interview with the 'News Agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran,' Sajjad states that Moscow is well aware of the price of Iran's alliance in the Syrian issue; that it cannot succeed in Syria without Iran's support. In addition, the former ambassador emphasized the common interests of Russia and Iran in Pakistan and Afghanistan, especially in the aspect of the fight against terrorism, which once again highlights the need for deepening cooperation between the countries.
As for Iran's nuclear policy, Sajjad's opinions are a reflection of the official rhetoric of the Islamic Republic. Sajjad criticized the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2016, saying that the US action threatens credibility in the international community. And in 2022, in an interview with Russian journalist Nina Leontieva, which is quite deliberately called "forgiving the past," Sajjad mentioned that Iran's nuclear policy serves a peacekeeping mission. According to the former ambassador, if Israel can have nuclear weapons, then it makes no sense to ask Iran to eliminate its nuclear arsenal.