Allameh Tabataba’i University Strategic Recommendations for  Administrative Bodies

Allameh Tabataba’i University Strategic Recommendations for Administrative Bodies

The International System, Regional Developments, and the Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Author
Department of Political Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University
Abstract
The transformations of the international system and regional changes in recent years have placed the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran before a set of new opportunities and constraints, such that the redefinition of strategies and priorities, conditional upon coordination among political realism, economic interests, and identity considerations, has become a policy imperative. Within this framework, three main axes are addressed: first, the impact of structural changes in the global system and power competition on the feasibility of Iran's external interactions; second, the condition of Middle Eastern crises and the manner in which the diplomatic apparatus confronts chronic insecurities, geopolitical conflicts, and the complexity of regional actors; and third, the capacities of interaction with the Eurasian and Central Asian spheres along the path of strengthening economic and security convergence. Findings emphasize that expanding international confidence-building and developing balanced relations with the West and the East are not in inherent conflict with the identity principles of foreign policy, and can lead to increased bargaining power and reduced costs of confrontation within the framework of a realistic policy. Finally, policy proposals emphasize the necessity of diversifying foreign partners, strengthening economic diplomacy, intelligently managing regional crises, and designing active strategies to harness peripheral geopolitical opportunities.
Keywords