Berlin, FRG (Weltexpress). Much to the displeasure of Washington and its tame vassals in the collective West, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received long and enthusiastic applause over the weekend for his keynote speech to 400 international participants at the “Al Jazeera Forum” in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Last weekend, the Western self-proclaimed “quality media” remained true to their principle that “what cannot be, must not be.” As a result, even German citizens interested in the ongoing crisis in the Middle East learned nothing about the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha. Even less than nothing can be found in the Western media about the stirring keynote speech by the foreign minister of Shiite Iran, which completely captivated the high-ranking delegates from predominantly Sunni states. This was evident not only from the prolonged applause, but also from the expressions on the faces of the participants.
In his keynote speech, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the situation in the Gaza Strip as “genocide” with refreshing clarity and called on the international community to immediately take responsibility towards Israel if it did not want to be complicit in this crime against humanity. At the same time, Araghchi explained that the Palestinian crisis should not be seen as an isolated humanitarian problem, but as a crucial issue that will determine justice and sovereignty in West Asia. The way in which the countries of the region continue to respond to the Palestinian crisis will be the strategic and moral compass for the future of the whole of West Asia.
The following is my summary of Araghchi’s speech.This link leads to the corresponding video recording of his speech at the “Al-Jazeera Forum” in Doha on February 7, 2026.
Araghchi opened his speech by stating that the crisis in the Gaza Strip goes far beyond the parameters of an occupation. It is neither a war nor a conflict between equal parties, nor is it an unfortunate by-product of security measures. Rather, he described it as the deliberate destruction of civilian life on a large scale.
“The human cost,” Araghchi said, “has violated the conscience of humanity, torn open the heart of the Muslim world, and at the same time shaken millions of people beyond it—Christians, Jews, and people of all faiths who believe that a child’s life is not a bargaining chip and hunger is not a weapon.”
Palestine is a mirror held up to the world – one that reflects not only the suffering of the Palestinians, but also the moral failure of those who could have stopped the catastrophe and instead chose to justify, enable, or normalize it. The Gaza Strip has become the stage for a larger and more dangerous project: an expansionist policy pursued under the banner of security.
Araghtschi cited three serious consequences of Israel’s actions. The first is global: Israel’s impunity has deeply damaged the international legal system. The world is moving toward a state in which international law no longer governs international relations. A dangerous precedent is being set: a state with sufficient political cover can bomb civilians, besiege and starve populations, destroy medical infrastructure, assassinate people across borders, and yet all these crimes are accepted and defended as legitimate by its (Western) supporters.
The second consequence is regional: Israel openly violates borders, disregards sovereignties, assassinates official dignitaries, and carries out terrorist operations in several countries—all with a sense of entitlement, because it has learned that it will not be held accountable internationally for its actions. In this context, Araghchi pointed to recent Israeli military operations in Lebanon, Syria, and the occupied territories as evidence of a spreading pattern of aggression that treats neighboring states as mere extensions of a battlefield without recognized borders.
He warned unequivocally that if the Gaza issue were “resolved” through destruction and forced displacement, the West Bank would follow—and the annexation of further territories would become official policy. This, he said, was the essence of the long-awaited “Erez Israel,” the biblical “Greater Israel” project, which was already being advanced through settlement expansion, land theft, and the systematic undermining of Palestinian institutions in the West Bank. This was not a hypothetical scenario, he said, but a visible development for anyone who looked at the facts on the ground.
The third and most dangerous consequence is structural: the expansionist project requires that neighboring countries remain militarily, technologically, economically, and socially weakened so that the Israeli regime can maintain its dominance in the long term. Araghchi spoke of a system of enforced inequality: Israel is expanding its arsenal without limits—including weapons of mass destruction—while other states are being forced to disarm.
This passage received particular attention against the backdrop of the current tensions between Iran and the US over Tehran’s missile program and nuclear activities. In this context, Washington insists on the destruction of Iran’s defense capabilities, for example, the scrapping of its medium-range missiles, which would leave Iran defenseless against Zionist-American attacks.
Addressing those present, Iran’s foreign minister made specific demands: the international community should support ongoing proceedings before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. He demanded comprehensive sanctions against Israel – an immediate arms embargo, the suspension of all military and intelligence cooperation, entry restrictions for Israeli officials involved in violations of international law, and far-reaching trade bans. He also called for a credible political horizon based on legal principles: an end to the occupation, the right of return for Palestinian refugees with compensation, and the establishment of a unified, independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital.
The demands are in line with Iran’s long-standing positions, but were given particular weight by their concrete formulation at the Al Jazeera Forum. The forum brings together diplomats, analysts, and media from the Arab and Muslim world, which is why Araghchi was offered a platform to present Iran’s position not as an outsider position, but as an expression of a broader regional consensus. And the Iranian foreign minister received support: several speakers expressed similar concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West-driven decline of international legal norms.
Araghchi emphasized that the crisis must be treated as an urgent international responsibility. Collective punishment, as in Gaza, must never be normalized. He pointed to the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the destruction of hospitals and schools, and the weaponization of food and water as evidence that the international community had failed in its most basic obligations under the Geneva Conventions. He called on regional states to coordinate in order to protect sovereignty and deter aggression. He particularly emphasized that one’s own security should not be built on the insecurity of others, a point that Moscow also repeatedly raises in relation to Western policy on Ukraine.
In conclusion, Araghchi made a direct appeal to the Islamic world, the Arab world, and the countries of the Global South. He called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, and regional institutions to go beyond symbolism and take coordinated action—legal, diplomatic, economic, and strategic. This, he said, was not a confrontation, but rather a means of preventing a violent transformation of the region.
He particularly highlighted the Global South as an emerging bloc with the weight to create a real alternative to the Western-dominated world order, in which rules are not applied selectively at Washington’s discretion, as is the case with the so-called “rules-based liberal order.”
In conclusion, the Iranian foreign minister warned all those who miscalculated: a region cannot remain stable by allowing one actor to be above the law. The doctrine of impunity does not lead to peace, but to broader conflict. The path to stability requires justice for Palestine, accountability for crimes, an end to the occupation, and a regional order based on sovereignty, equality, and cooperation.
According to Araghchi, Palestine is not just a question of solidarity – it is the indispensable cornerstone of regional security.
Conclusion
Araghchi’s speech comes at a particularly sensitive time: Iran and the US are engaged in fragile nuclear negotiations, with both sides signaling that the alternative to diplomacy would be a return to military confrontation. His linking of the Palestinian question to the regional security architecture—including Iran’s right to maintain its missile capabilities—reflects Tehran’s firm position that maintaining its robust defense capabilities and supporting the Palestinian cause are two sides of the same coin.
Repeated references to “permanent inequality” and the West’s demand that other nations disarm while Israel retains an unchecked arsenal were widely interpreted as a direct commentary on Washington’s pressure in the nuclear and missile negotiations. Regional analysts see the Doha speech as a deliberate mobilization of diplomatic support from the Global South.
