Tehran seeks diplomatic legitimacy while maintaining grip on Hormuz

Inside Iran, the regime presents even symbolic contacts with major Western leaders as evidence that powerful countries are appealing to Tehran and acknowledging its importance.

By Mardo Soghom, Middle East Forum

The Islamic Republic of Iran is intensifying diplomatic outreach to European and Asian countries, including France and India, to overcome the isolation imposed by Operation Epic Fury.

Iranian officials now target with renewed engagement even regional states they once considered friendly, such as Qatar and Oman, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted them with drone and missile attacks.

These diplomatic efforts raise difficult questions for European governments and Western institutions.

To what extent should they engage with Tehran while the Islamic Republic continues to blockade the Strait of Hormuz and carry out executions of dissidents?

That debate intensified further after Pope Leo XIV awarded Iran’s ambassador to the Holy See the Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX, the highest papal honor, reportedly as a symbol of “peace” and “pacifism.”

Leo’s decision shocked Iran observers.

Darya Safai, an Iranian-born member of the Belgian parliament, described it as “surreal and deeply disturbing.”

She questioned how Christian institutions can speak of “freedom, justice, compassion, and peace” while remaining silent about the suffering of Iranians under the Islamic Republic.

“What kind of peace ignores the suffering of millions?” she asked.

Safai also highlighted the human cost inside Iran, saying “more than 40,000 young Iranian souls have been taken” by the regime and generations grow up under fear of imprisonment and executions.

For Tehran, such gestures from prominent international figures and Western governments serve an important purpose.

Beyond improving the Islamic Republic’s international image, they provide powerful material for domestic propaganda, allowing the government to portray itself as resilient and respected, despite war, sanctions and isolation.

On May 6, 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to emphasize the importance of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Yet Pezeshkian exercises little authority over Iran’s military and foreign policy decisions.

Inside Iran, the regime presents even symbolic contacts with major Western leaders as evidence that powerful countries are appealing to Tehran and acknowledging its importance.

While Macron’s call was symbolic, European powers have done little in practical terms to defend their commercial and strategic interests in the Persian Gulf.

Despite Europe’s decision not to support U.S. naval operations in the region, Tehran responded to European efforts to remain diplomatically relevant.

Nour News, affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, mocked remarks by European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on May 12 that Europe is prepared to use its experience in negotiations with Iran, describing the statement as “an attempt to hide the European Union’s political isolation.”

Diplomatic engagement with BRICS countries serves a similar purpose for Tehran.

On May 13, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi met with representatives from Brazil, Indonesia, and India during a BRICS gathering. Iranian state media highlighted comments suggesting support for the Islamic Republic’s position in the ongoing conflict.

Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Kravik also visited Tehran this week for meetings with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Gharibabadi. Iranian and foreign media reported that the discussions focused on the war, regional tensions and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media portrayed the Norwegian visit as part of expanding consultations with European governments, while outside observers framed it as an effort to reduce tensions and address maritime security concerns.

Yet with Tehran continuing to restrict maritime traffic through Hormuz and escalating attacks linked to the United Arab Emirates, countries such as Norway possess little real leverage over Iranian behavior.

Still, even symbolic diplomatic gestures may reinforce a growing conviction among Iran’s leaders that they can break out of international isolation, normalize their wartime conduct, and impose a new political and security order in the Strait of Hormuz.