TEHRAN -- The fourth 
Tehran Dialogue Forum (TDF) officially opened here on Sunday, bringing together 200 delegations and high-level officials from 53 countries to discuss regional cooperation, diplomacy, and global peace. 
The two-day event, which aims to foster dialogue on pressing global and regional issues, is being held at the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) under the auspices of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi inaugurated the forum. The gathering, covered by 50 international media outlets, includes 40 thematic panels featuring ministers, policy experts, and heads of think tanks.
This year’s forum is dedicated to the memory of Iran’s late Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian, recognizing his role in shaping Iran’s regional diplomacy. The event underscores Iran’s aspiration to position itself as a constructive actor in regional and international affairs.
During his comments at the forum, President Pezeshkian said, “Iran is not at war with any country; we simply demand respect for nations’ rights. As an independent nation, we have the right to use nuclear science for peaceful purposes, including in health, agriculture, and industry.” 
Pezeshkian met with several leaders on the sidelines of the forum.
Prominent foreign dignitaries in attendance include Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, Tajikistan’s Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Afghan caretaker Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigoryan, and Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Nechirvan Barzani. Azerbaijan’s presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev is also taking part. 
Also attending the forum are Kamal Kharrazi, head of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, former foreign minister Muhammad Javad Zarif, and ambassadors and analysts from across the region.
The forum’s expert panels will address topics ranging from diplomacy and development to regional stability and humanitarian cooperation.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said the West Asia region is currently facing several challenges that call for an urgent need for dialogue.
He said Oman is seriously committed to pursuing the difficult path of dialogue even with those with whom it may have deep disagreements.
Busaidi said the violence and genocide that the people of Palestine continue to face are a real tragedy for the world.
He expressed hope that the Tehran forum would help promote dialogue and strengthen the resolve of those who believe that dialogue is the only way to resolve conflicts between nations.
Muhriddin said the international community needs constructive dialogue to tackle serious problems and conduct more research to establish peace and stability across the world.
The world, he said, is currently facing unprecedented developments. Extremism and radical violence pose a serious threat to humanity, he said, urging the international community to take and implement joint and effective measures to prevent the scourges.
He also stressed the importance of establishing a collective security mechanism in the region to promote peace and stability.
Grigoryan said his country strives to establish peace and stability in the region. He said Armenia’s “Crossroads for Peace” initiative, unveiled in October 2023, aims to open the existing blockages and strengthen economic infrastructure in an attempt to enhance connectivity and mutual dependence in the region.
Armenia believes that the plan would be very useful and would lead to investment in order to ensure stability in the region, Grigoryan added.
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said Arab countries and international judicial circles, such as the International Criminal Court, have failed to take effective practical measures to stop the Israeli regime’s crimes so far.
He described the situation in Gaza as an “open Holocaust” where more than a hundred people are martyred every day and hundreds more are injured, many of whom later lose their lives.
The West Bank, Lebanon, and other regions face a similar situation, he added.
Abdul-Mahdi urged the international community to show a real and effective reaction to such tragedies. History, he said, will judge those who remained silent in the face of the genocide and said all in the world are duty-bound to express solidarity with the people of Gaza and end the humanitarian tragedy in the Strip.