The 8th Conference on the History of Iran's Foreign Relations, entitled "Iran's Foreign Policy and the Persian Gulf Throughout History," was held on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at the Center for Political and International Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the opening of the conference, Dr. Khatibzadeh, the Head of the Center for Studies, stated that the goal and necessity of this year's conference theme were to dispel erroneous narratives and strengthen accurate ones. He referred to the Persian Gulf as a sea as vast as human society, which has influenced the political, social, economic, and cultural life of all surrounding regions. Dr. Khatibzadeh expressed the Center for Studies' readiness to cooperate with archivists and researchers of the history of foreign relations, offering access to the tens of thousands of documents related to the Persian Gulf housed in the Center's archives.  Explaining the process of holding the 8th Conference on the History of Iran's Foreign Relations, he added that the conference secretariat received a total of 40 articles, of which 24 were selected and would be presented in three scientific panels.

Subsequently, Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in his address, pointed to the strategic importance of the Persian Gulf for Iran, and the existence of foreign competition and interference aimed at disrupting the security of the region. He emphasized the significance and necessity of an indigenous and inclusive security doctrine for the Persian Gulf region.

He further added that security in the Persian Gulf is an integrated concept, based on the principle that everyone in the region should be secure, and the insecurity of one equals the insecurity of all.  The Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the diplomatic apparatus is pursuing the development of a sea-based and sea-oriented foreign policy. He elaborated on the importance of the Chabahar port region, not only for Iran and India, but also as a golden gateway for the countries of the Persian Gulf and Asia to enter the Eurasia and Central Asia region. He then detailed the government's policies in strengthening provincial diplomacy in this regard.

The 8th Conference on the History of Foreign Relations continued with three panels titled: "Geopolitical and Geo-economic Dimensions and Dynamics of the Persian Gulf Throughout History"; "Global and Regional Rivalries and the Intervention of Powers in the Persian Gulf"; and "Iranian Sovereignty and Diplomacy in the Persian Gulf Throughout History."  Twenty-five speakers presented their papers within these three panels.