Masoud Pezeshkian stated at the United Nations General Assembly: "No one in this region will have security alone. We will either build security together or endure insecurity together." In his speech, he emphasized that Iran does not accept that "nuclear knowledge" is monopolized by a few countries and said Tehran is ready for dialogue but does not accept the "language of force."
Common Security and Its Consequences
The first part of his statement about security seems acceptable at first glance. War, energy crises, migration, terrorism, and economic instability do not recognize borders. The security of one country in the Middle East can directly affect its neighbors. The extensive war in Afghanistan had and continues to have significant repercussions for the people of Iran. However, the second half of the sentence raises another question: "or we will endure insecurity together." Is this merely a description of the natural spread of insecurity, or does it carry the message that if Iran lacks security, others will also lack it?
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This distinction is important; because "common security" has a specific meaning in international political discourse. Its modern concept dates back at least to the Palme Commission report in 1982: sustainable security cannot be built solely against others. Later, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe also emphasized the same principle that the security of each state is linked to the security of others, but no country should enhance its security at the expense of the security of other countries.
Security and Legal Consequences
This means common security states: "My security is not sustainable without your security." However, another proposition may also be formulated: "If I do not have security, you should not have it either." These two statements seem close, but they are not the same politically and legally.
This point becomes particularly significant when we hear Pezeshkian's statement in the context of recent regional events. On March 11, 2026, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2817 with 13 votes in favor, no votes against, and two abstentions, condemning Iran's attacks on neighboring countries. This resolution also condemned Iran's threats to close or disrupt international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, regional countries do not hear the Iranian President's words in a historical vacuum.
Thus, a statement that Tehran presents as an invitation to cooperate may be heard as a warning in another capital. The International Court of Justice also stated in its advisory opinion in 1996 that "threat" and "use of force" are not separate: if the use of force in the given circumstances is illegal, the threat of the same action can also be illegal.
In light of this, the fundamental question is whether countries should accept the responsibility to prevent the spillover of crises to their neighbors? In fact, the concept of "common security" means that countries should prevent the spillover of insecurity to others, rather than presenting the insecurity of others as a tool for ensuring their own security.
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