Iran’s AI Ambitions Extend From National Capacity to Global Governance
In a note for IRNA, Iran’s ambassador to China argues that the country must move beyond using artificial intelligence to developing domestic capabilities, while expanding cooperation with Beijing and participating in international rule-making.
In an IRNA note, Iran’s ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, argues that artificial intelligence is a major source of national power and that Iran must develop domestic expertise rather than remain only a user of the technology. He highlights Iran’s stated membership in WAICO, its universities, research centers and knowledge-based companies, and calls for active participation in international AI governance. The note also presents China as a potential partner in joint research, training, technology development and innovation, while advocating international cooperation based on equal participation, knowledge exchange and shared benefits.
Artificial intelligence is becoming a central factor in how countries approach economic development, scientific progress, industrial transformation and social change. In a recent note published by Iran’s IRNA news agency, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran’s ambassador to China, described AI as one of the principal sources of power in the 21st century and argued that Iran should seek a more active role in both developing the technology and shaping its governance.
The note presents AI not simply as a collection of tools for users, but as a strategic field in which countries will compete and cooperate across research, infrastructure, innovation and policymaking. In Rahmani Fazli’s view, national strength in this area will depend on whether countries can understand the technology deeply, build domestic capabilities and participate in the wider chains of knowledge and production surrounding it.
That distinction is central to the article’s argument. Using AI, the ambassador writes, is only one dimension of the transformation underway. The more fundamental challenge is the ability to contribute to the creation of knowledge, the development of technology and the decisions that will shape the future of the field. For Iran, this means moving from the position of a technology consumer toward one based on research, infrastructure, specialized talent and a functioning innovation ecosystem.
The note says that Iran has made the development of AI and the strengthening of its position in the related knowledge and technology chains a scientific and technological priority. It also invokes a position attributed to the late leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution: that merely being a user of artificial intelligence should not be regarded as sufficient, and that countries should work toward mastery of the technology’s deeper layers and strategic capabilities.
This approach places human capital and institutions at the center of Iran’s stated ambitions. The ambassador points to Iran’s skilled workforce, universities, research centers and knowledge-based companies as parts of a foundation for wider participation in AI. According to the note, these capabilities could allow Iran not only to benefit from international experience, but also to contribute to research, innovative applications and discussions about responsible and ethical AI development.
International participation is presented as another essential element of that strategy. The article identifies Iran’s membership in the World AI Cooperation Organization, referred to as WAICO, as an opportunity for the country to take part more actively in international dialogue, exchange experiences, expand scientific cooperation and participate in discussions about the future governance of artificial intelligence.
Rahmani Fazli argues that effective participation in such an international mechanism would require policy coordination at home. This coordination, as described in the note, would be needed to support mutual learning, knowledge transfer, technological cooperation and Iran’s contribution to global discussions about AI. Membership alone, in this framing, would not guarantee influence; its value would depend on how effectively Iran could use the opportunity to connect domestic capabilities with international cooperation.
The note also places AI within a broader debate about development and equity. It argues that artificial intelligence can become an engine of sustainable development when it serves public welfare, economic growth, improved quality of life and the reduction of technological gaps between countries. From this perspective, the benefits of AI should not be limited to countries that already possess the strongest technological resources.
Iran’s stated position is that international cooperation should be based on mutual respect, equal participation, knowledge exchange, fair access to technological opportunities and shared benefit. The note describes AI development as a common responsibility for the global community and argues that governance will be more effective if all countries can participate in multilateral arrangements according to their capabilities.
The relationship with China occupies a prominent place in this vision. The ambassador describes China as a leading country in AI development and highlights its experience in technological infrastructure, support for innovation, industrial applications and links between science and industry. He argues that the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China creates opportunities to expand scientific and technological cooperation, with artificial intelligence potentially becoming a new and future-oriented area of bilateral engagement.
The forms of cooperation proposed in the note include the reciprocal exchange of experience, joint research projects, training specialists, technology development and the strengthening of innovative capabilities. Such cooperation, the ambassador argues, could serve the shared interests of the two countries while creating practical links between their scientific and technological communities.
The article further presents Iran and China as countries with rich civilizational backgrounds, specialized human resources, scientific capacities and a shared development agenda. On that basis, it suggests that the two countries could offer an example of technological cooperation among developing nations—one built around innovation, mutual learning, joint development and responsible use of technology.
The broader message is that Iran seeks to define its AI strategy through two parallel objectives. The first is domestic: strengthening research, infrastructure, talent and innovation so that the country can develop more advanced capabilities. The second is international: securing a meaningful place in conversations about cooperation, access and governance, while building partnerships that can support technological development.
The note does not provide specific projects, timelines, investment figures or institutional details for implementing these objectives. Instead, it sets out a policy vision in which Iran combines national capacity-building with multilateral engagement and closer technological ties with China. Its concluding aspiration is for AI to contribute to peace, development and the welfare of all nations, with Iran positioning itself as both a beneficiary of international cooperation and a contributor to collective progress.