TEHRAN, Iran — Getting to know Iran is a difficult task that might take a foreigner dozens of years without going anywhere. As a former Arab diplomat who served as his country’s ambassador to Tehran once told me, someone needs 20 years until he or she can dare say, "I might know."

This diplomat and his colleagues were in direct connection with Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the country’s bridge to the world, the place where the “built-in” diplomacy of the Iranian people is well reflected.

In a huge complex south of Tehran stands Iran’s diplomacy headquarters. The Foreign Ministry, immersed in history, tells without a single word the history of the empire that became the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On the first floor of building No. 1, I met Hussein Amir Abdollahian, the country’s undersecretary for Arab and African Affairs. Abdollahian, who holds a doctorate in international relations from the University of Tehran, is the man taking care of Iran’s interests in countries such as  Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain and many more, an indication that he knows a lot of answers to many of our questions.