Iran’s daily Kayhan, overseen by a representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has called for a shift in the country’s foreign policy from “engagement” to “power building,” arguing that decades of diplomatic outreach to the West have failed to secure Iran’s national interests.

In a commentary published on Monday, the paper said Iran’s long-standing policy of détente -- adopted since the 1990s -- was based on “unrealistic optimism” about the international system and “has not sustainably guaranteed the country’s national security.”

The article described the current approach as interaction-oriented and said it must be replaced by a power-oriented doctrine focused on strengthening military, economic, and technological capabilities to deter foreign pressure.

Citing the experience of the 2015 nuclear deal, Kayhan said Western powers exploited Iran’s transparency to intensify sanctions and political leverage, concluding that “national security cannot be achieved through trust in adversaries, but through active deterrence and national cohesion.”

The call for a “paradigm shift” aligns with the growing dominance of hardline narratives within Tehran’s policymaking circles, which advocate a move away from engagement with the US and Europe toward self-reliance and expanded regional influence.