In the Shadow of the Cypress: Notes from a Trip to Iran

Marta Fernández

06/19/2025

On June 18, it had been a month since I traveled to Tehran to participate in the Tehran Dialogue Forum 2025. The event brought together Iranian and foreign officials, think tank representatives, ministers, and academics — in an effort to give visibility to the country amid an adverse international context. I went as director of the BRICS Policy Center, motivated not only by Iran’s growing relevance in global geopolitics — especially after joining BRICS — but also by a desire to experience the country beyond orientalist frameworks and stereotypical representations.

From the start, the contrast between hospitality and hardship was striking. During my layover in Dubai, I faced the first obstacle: I was unable to exchange money for Iranian rials — a clear sign of the effects of Western sanctions on the country. But on the flight to Tehran, the attention to detail was already apparent: saffron-scented rice with lamb, warm service.

I arrived in Tehran at dawn. From my hotel window, I could see arid mountains in the distance and minarets stitching the city together with their calls. Tehran greeted me with this restrained beauty — an image that encapsulated the contrasts I would encounter: the pride of a millennia-old civilization and the ongoing tension of a country that insists on existing, even as the world tries to reduce it to silence and deprivation.

The forum opened with a Quranic recitation, as is customary. Soon after, President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a powerful speech: we all live in a common house, and everyone has the right to live with dignity. “No one is more human than others,” he said. According to him, violence begins when another’s rights are violated. In a direct tone, he denounced the role of Western powers in fueling conflicts, pitting peoples against each other, and exploiting the region’s oil — all while criminalizing Iran and selling weapons to its neighbors.

In the same speech, Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s right to maintain a peaceful nuclear program — with applications in agriculture, industry, and healthcare — and stressed that the country does not seek nuclear weapons, based on religious principles. It was also emphasized that Iran’s participation in negotiations mediated by Oman reflects its commitment to a lasting diplomatic solution — provided it is based on justice, concrete facts, and respect for national sovereignty.

This commitment, however, was severely shaken by Israeli airstrikes on Iran on June 12, which targeted, though not exclusively, nuclear and military facilities, resulting in the deaths of scientists and senior officers. The severity of the attacks was seen in Tehran as a direct violation of national sovereignty, leading to the suspension of negotiations as long as the Israeli aggression continues. As Foreign Minister Esmail Baghaei said in a press conference: “It is meaningless to engage in dialogue with the party [the United States] that is the main supporter and accomplice of the aggressor.” Despite the suspension, Iran’s official stance remains: it is still willing to negotiate — but will not accept any process carried out under coercion or in the face of international silence regarding these aggressions.

The urgency of the situation in Gaza permeated the entire forum, marked by firm statements against systemic violence and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. The condemnation of the genocide of the Palestinian people was unanimous among participants. Differences arose, however, regarding proposed solutions to the conflict. While some Gulf countries support the two-state solution — with a Palestinian state coexisting with Israel within the pre-1967 borders — Iran insists that any fair and lasting solution must involve an end to the occupation, the return of refugees, and full self-determination of the Palestinian people over all their historical territory.

Beyond the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the issue of regional energy resources also played a central role in the discussions. The Iranian president stressed that without the energy flowing from the Persian Gulf, the West would come to a standstill. Pezeshkian denounced the strategic use of arms sales by Western countries in exchange for oil, arguing that this logic perpetuates regional instability. In light of the recent Israeli attacks on Iranian targets, Tehran authorities have begun to consider the possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz — through which about 30% of the world’s oil supply passes. This threat reinforced the strategic importance of the route and reignited global concerns about the impact of a potential blockade on energy flows.

Behind the scenes at the Forum, the atmosphere was tense and revealing. On the first day, upon arrival at the conference center, we had to leave our bags and phones outside. Security was tight, with thorough inspections at every reentry. At the time, the protocol seemed excessively strict — but weeks later, after the Israeli attack, the level of vigilance surrounding that meeting became clearer.

During forum breaks, many university students approached with questions about BRICS. After all, Iran was now a member. This new scenario brings us to an uncomfortable but urgent question: Can Brazil, as host of the BRICS summit on July 6 and 7, contain the geopolitical shift shaping recent discussions and instead advance a positive agenda centered on development and South-South cooperation? Historically, BRICS has championed a world governed by rules and respect for sovereignty. But to what extent will its members be willing to “take that fight” to the United States?

At the end of the seminar, as part of the cultural program, the Iranian short film “In the Shadow of the Cypress” was screened. Without a single word, the animation portrays the relationship between a father and daughter, isolated by the sea, grappling with the traumas of war. A stranded whale appears near their home — impossible to rescue with the few resources they have — becoming a symbol of helplessness, loss, but also persistence in caring, even when all seems lost. In the end, the father ties his old boat to the whale’s body and lets it sink — a gesture of renunciation, sacrifice, and reparation. He releases the past to free his daughter, the animal, and perhaps himself. The whale returns to the sea. The daughter remains. And the silence of the ocean holds what was left behind.

In Persian culture, the cypress tree — slender and resilient, as symbolized in the film’s title — stands for resistance and dignity. Thin and casting no shade, it remains upright. Perhaps this is what the future demands of us: that we release the weights that drag us down, but continue to stand — insisting on dialogue, on listening, and on building a true common home for humans, animals, and plants, as the Iranian president emphasized during the Forum.