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Iran - Foreign Relations

Syria was the backbone of Iran’s strategy of surrounding Israel with an arc of proxies bent on its destruction. With the 08 December 2024 fall of Assad , this arc, which began in Iran and extended through Iraq, Syria and northern Lebanon, and extended through Yemen and Gaza, was broken. It pointed out that the “axis of resistance” is now a shadow of what it was just 3 months ago. Iran no longer stood as the dominant power sweeping the region with force. It was fallen and it was unclear who would replace it, but the fact that Iran’s overall influence was in sharp decline, which constitutes a “new Middle East.”

By 2015 Iran was in its most favorable geopolitical position since the revolution in 1979. Iran is located at the center of the ‘uncontrollable center” of post-Cold war and post-9/11 world politics.

A true example of an international system that is based on “self help”, Iran’s “anarchical” regional environment has all the ingredients of an strategic nightmare: Too many neighbors with hostile, unfriendly or at best opportunistic attitudes, no great power alliance, a 25 years face-off with greatest superpower in history, living in a war infested region (5 major wars in less than 25 years), a region ripe with ethno-territorial disputes on its borders (Iran has been a major regional refugee hub), and with a dominant Wahabi trans-regional movement which theologically and politically despises Iran, and finally a region with nuclear powers; Pakistan, Israel, and India.

Many observers saw Iran's regional activities as anti-Western, reactive, entirely self-focused, and frequently driven by an opaque and unpredictable decision making process outside formal government structures. One result is that Iran currently possesses minimal ability to effectively advocate its interests, project meaningful political or economic influence, develop significant economic links, or shape regional political and economic trends and debates. Such regional clout as it has is negative. Despite its unimpressive short-term achievements, most commentators believe that Iran desires and anticipates significantly increased regional clout in future, perhaps buttressed by nuclear weapons.

As protests have flared in Iraq and Lebanon amid widespread discontent with the political class in both countries, Iran has showed signs of anxiety about the popular movements, which threaten to weaken its influence abroad. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei took a very skeptical stance towards the Lebanese and Iraqi popular movements. “I recommend those who care in #Iraq and #Lebanon remedy the insecurity and turmoil created in their countries by the U.S., the Zionist regime, some western countries, and the money of some reactionary countries,” he wrote on 30 October 2019. Given its important political role in Iraq and Lebanon, it’s inevitable that Iran is worried; Tehran needs to maintain its power in these two countries after investing a great deal to give itself influence. Invoking the predictable conspiracy theory of Zionist interference to try and discredit these protest movements shows a certain weakness” on Iran’s part.

The one country among its northern neighbors with which Iran has not had cordial relations is Azerbaijan. Iran provided de facto assistance to Armenia during the 1992–94 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Armenian-populated province of Nagorno–Karabakh in Azerbaijan. That war was a disaster for Azerbaijan, ending with Armenia in control not only of Nagorno–Karabakh but also of the Azerbaijani territory between Armenia and Nagorno–Karabakh. Possibly in retaliation, Azerbaijan has not cooperated with Iran on issues of concern to Tehran, such as the decline of caviar-producing sturgeon and increased pollution of the Caspian Sea. Furthermore, newspapers and politicians in Azerbaijan continue to assert territorial claims on Iran’s Azeri-speaking provinces of East and West Azarbaijan. Although such claims are not official, they have provoked angry responses from Tehran. Iran has cultivated closer relations with Armenia in economic and transportation policy, building a new pipeline and a new railroad across the mutual border.

Iran is a member of the following international organizations: Colombo Plan, Economic Cooperation Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, Group of 15, Group of 24, Group of 77, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Control Commission, International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Development Association, International Development Bank, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Finance Corporation, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Labour Organization, International Monetary Fund, International Organization for Migration, International Telecommunication Union, Islamic Development Bank, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Pollution Control Agency, United Nations, United Nations Committee on Trade and Development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Universal Postal Union, World Confederation of Labor, World Federation of Trade Unions, World Health Organization, World Tourism Organization, and World Trade Organization (observer status).

Iran is a signatory to international environment agreements on Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change –Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands (signed but not ratified), Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, and Marine Life Conservation. In the arms control and nonproliferation area, Iran is a signatory to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Biological Weapons Convention, Chemical Weapons Convention, International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards Agreement, Partial Test Ban Treaty, and Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

In light of regional, Western and American pressure on Iran because of its nuclear file and other issues, it is good at conveying conflict, distracting attention, and presenting itself as the one who holds the keys to some crises, so they cannot be resolved without them. The burning region outside Iran's borders reduces the possibility of confrontation on Iranian territory, as Iran considers Syria a front line, as well as Yemen, thus exhausting the efforts of its opponents, and making anyone who thinks about confronting Iran take into account potentially explosive fronts, such as Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and to a lesser extent in Palestine. These renewed and open crises, with the Palestinian issue at the forefront; It distracts the focus from Iran, and at the same time makes Iran an influential and central player in the region, as it cannot be ignored in any conflict or settlement in the region.

The “crystallization” of the alliance between Iran and Venezuela Ramon Cardozo | Venezuelan lawyer 20 June 2023

Compared with the reality at the beginning of the 21st century — the presence of the interests of the Iranian Islamic regime in Latin America it has expanded significantly. The relationship between Iran and Venezuela has been a subject of international attention and scrutiny. Both countries have engaged in various forms of cooperation, and their alliance has raised concerns among other nations, particularly the United States. There have been reports of military cooperation between Iran and Venezuela, including the exchange of military personnel and the possibility of Iran providing support for Venezuela's defense capabilities. Both Iran and Venezuela have faced international sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries. Their alliance is seen as a way to counteract the impact of these sanctions and build a network of supportive nations. The dimensions of Venezuela, its strategic location at the intersection of South America, Central America and the Caribbean Sea, as well as the abundance of natural and energy resources in its territory, were determining factors that led the Islamic Republic of Iran to consider it as entry platform to Latin America at the beginning of the 21st century. During the first years of his administration, Hugo Chávez played a crucial role in strengthening the country's ties with Iran and influencing other countries allied to his government, such as Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua, to follow the same path. The close ties between Iran and Venezuela have geopolitical implications, particularly in the context of regional and global power dynamics. The alliance has been viewed with concern by some countries, especially the United States, which has criticized the cooperation and sought to isolate both countries. Venezuela’s ever-strengthening ties with Iran pose some proliferation concerns. Venezuela, the world’s fifth largest oil exporter, and Iran, the second largest, began to build stronger ties after Venezuela hosted the 2000 OPEC meeting in Caracas. 12 The relationship between the two countries intensified as Chávez became an outspoken supporter of Iran’s nuclear program, and a critic of Western countries that have sought UN Security Council resolutions requiring Iran to halt uranium enrichment. By 2010, Chávez had already visited Iran eight times and received the same number of times with a president of that country: four times with President Khatami and four times with President Ahmadinejad. According to the internationalist and university professor Carlos Romero in his study "The Foreign Policy of Bolivarian Venezuela", at that time both countries had signed 270 cooperation instruments between memorandums of understanding, contracts and agreements in various areas, including energy, health, education and technology, transportation, agriculture, manufacturing of plants and cars, and in the construction of houses. Not having the same financial and commercial muscle as China or the military-technological level of Russia, Iran has sought to shore up and reinforce its strategy towards Latin America with aggressive cultural diplomacy to bridge the great cultural distances that exist between the two regions and thus smooth the way to their political, economic and military interests. Through non-coercive instruments, seeking to expand what is known as soft power , the Iranian regime has promoted in Latin America, and especially in Venezuela, its culture, values ??and traditions, as well as its perspective and critical narrative on the international order, Western culture and its democracy. In 2007, Iran became a member observer to the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA). In 2011, Iranian state television launched HISPAN tv, an international news channel in Spanish aimed primarily at Latin American audiences, which was complemented by the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency (IRNA) By 2015, the Islamic Republic had established more than 80 cultural centers in Latin America, a figure highly disproportionate to the small Muslim population in the region. Iran and Venezuela have strengthened diplomatic and economic ties in recent years. Both countries have expressed mutual support and solidarity, and they have signed agreements to cooperate in areas such as energy, agriculture, and technology. Both Iran and Venezuela are oil-producing nations, and they have collaborated on energy-related matters. This collaboration includes joint ventures, technology transfer, and assistance in the oil and gas sectors. Through the High-Level Joint Commission, Venezuelan and Iran “are working on new rapprochement, cooperation plans,” that will translate into agreements favoring both parties, affirmed President Nicolás Maduro 27 December 2021. The Venezuelan president explained that he will travel to Tehran, capital city of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to engage in conversations with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi, “endorse new documents, and speed up cooperation processes in all areas between two independent, sovereign countries.” In an interview with Arab TV station Al Mayadeen, Maduro said that in previous telephone conversations with his Iranian counterpart, “we have agreed a set of new plans” that are proof of the strength of Venezuela-Iran relations. President Maduro pointed out that he will hold a meeting with the Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hamenei, whom he deems “a man with great wisdom, intelligence, human sensitivity and capacity to address his country’s and the world’s issues. He said that Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hamenei “is a man who gathers the experience of Iran’s Islamic Revolution” with a wide knowledge in world politics issues. “It’s an honor to rely on his advice and opinions,” sad President Maduro. Venezuela and Iran maintain alliances in areas such as science, technology and innovation, including the transfer of technology in areas such as agriculture, food, industry, mining and construction. Likewise, their strategic cooperation encompasses productive economy and oil. Although Brazil, Argentina and Mexico are Iran's main trading partners in Latin America, President Ebrahim Raisí's first official visit to the region in June 2023 prioritized strengthening ties with the regimes of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua , with which the Iranian regime shares political similarities. All of these countries are classified as autocratic regimes (V-Dem). All of them present low rates of respect for the civil liberties and rights of their citizens ( Freedom House ). All of them have also been reported to international organizations for serious human rights violations. These regimes face a significant number of international sanctions, which has kept them largely isolated from international trade flows. Iran with 3,616 sanctions, Venezuela with 651 and Cuba with 208, are among the five most sanctioned countries in the world. Finally, all of these countries maintain antagonistic positions towards the international policy of the United States and its allies, while cultivating close relations with China and Russia. The common interests derived from these similarities determined the political objective of this Iranian tour and the discursive line adopted by the leaders during it. Thus, President Raisí, before leaving for Latin America, highlighted the "strategic" nature of the relations of the Iranian Islamic regime with Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, on the basis that "our position and that of these three countries is to oppose imperialism." and unilateralism.” During bilateral meetings, this position was repeatedly supported by Latin American leaders: they accused the United States' foreign policy of being imperialist; They rejected international sanctions as unilateral, illegal and destabilizing instruments; They criticized the defense of democracy and human rights by Western powers as hypocritical and interfering actions, and demanded the establishment of a new multipolar world order. Despite the great cultural differences between both countries, Ali Akbar, a researcher at the University of Melbourne, in his study "Iran's soft power in Venezuela" (2022), finds that "Tehran's efforts to promote its cultural norms in Venezuela have been relatively successful.” Akbar highlights in his study that, during the years 2021 and 2022, Iran invested many resources in promoting its anti-American and anti-imperialist discourses in Venezuela. This researcher concludes that "Iran has been increasing its soft power measures; and it is likely that these measures guarantee and even prolong Tehran's presence and influence in Venezuela." The relationship between the Chavista regime and the Iranian one has been characterized by its lack of transparency and secrecy. The terms and real scope of this alliance, as well as its development, are unknown to the vast majority of Venezuelans. What the "crystallization" of this alliance does make clear is that, in its desire to retain power, the Chavista regime has not hesitated to subordinate the country to foreign geopolitical agendas that put security, values, traditions at risk. and the legitimate interests of the Venezuelan nation. The plan to block the country's eastern borders announced that a 4-meter concrete wall, barbed wire, fence and basic road will be built on the common border between Iran and Afghanistan within a period of 3 years. A four-meter concrete wall, barbed wire, fence and basic road should be built on the common borders between Iran and Afghanistan within a three-year period, and the northeastern region includes the provinces of Mazandaran, Golestan, Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan. According to Ekhtaznews, blocking the eastern borders is one of the recent plans of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, which is being implemented with the aim of dealing with border insecurity, preventing the smuggling of weapons, drugs, and people, for the implementation of this work division plan between the army, the IRGC, and the border guard. And it has been done. After that, Sardar Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the ground forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, attended the workshop on the implementation of the Sistan and Baluchistan border closure project and visited the progress of the work and emphasized the acceleration of the implementation of this project. According to Defense Press, within three years, a four-meter concrete wall, barbed wire, fence and basic road will be built on the common borders between Iran and Afghanistan, and the northeastern region of Mazandaran, Golestan, Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, South Khorasan and Semnan provinces. includes According to the commander of the Northeast Regional Headquarters of the Army Ground Forces, the blocking of the border in the east of the country started last year and is being done with strength and intensity. Improving the safety of the eastern borders of the country is necessary due to the increase in the traffic of illegal immigrants in the last few years, as well as the activity of terrorist groups and smuggling in these borders, and it is the demand of the people of these regions and the whole country, therefore, the allocation of funds and the implementation of the border blockade plan are a response to this demand. is popular; Although the eastern borders are very wide and blocking them is not an easy task, the creation of physical barriers, including the wall, as well as the use of new technologies at the borders can greatly improve border security. Of course, along with blocking the border, the dialogue with Pakistan and Afghanistan authorities should be followed for more control over the common borders. Blocking the eastern borders is one of the recent plans of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, which is being implemented with the aim of dealing with border insecurity, preventing the smuggling of weapons, drugs, and people, for the implementation of this work division plan between the army, the IRGC, and the border guard. And it has been done. After that, Sardar Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the ground forces of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, attended the workshop on the implementation of the Sistan and Baluchistan border closure project and visited the progress of the work and emphasized the acceleration of the implementation of this project. The leadership of the border blocking plan in the east of the country is under the responsibility of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, which is being implemented with the aim of dealing with border insecurity, preventing the smuggling of weapons, drugs, and human beings. Amir Brigadier General Kyomarth Heydari added on Wednesday on the sidelines of his trip to the common borders of Iran and Afghanistan: The various stages of the operation of this national plan are carried out in this border region of the country based on the equipment, facilities and technologies of our country. He stated: The operational work of blocking the wall on the common borders of Khorasan Razavi province with Afghanistan has made good physical progress and we hope that it will be completed and put into operation within the expected period of time. The Commander of the Army Ground Forces pointed out that this country's strategic plan has a significant role in ensuring stable security of Iran's borders and continued: A large part of this plan has come to fruition in different parts, which is a praise for the active engineering groups in it has He stated that the harsh weather conditions of Dogharon region could not prevent the work of the engineering forces in this project and said: The blocking of the border wall between Iran and Afghanistan in the east of the country, centered on the 444th engineering group of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army and several other groups. Amir Heydari emphasized that 100% of Islamic Iran's borders are monitored and monitored with electronic and optical facilities, he said: Using the scientific power of the army's elites, we have been able to monitor and monitor Iran's borders with the facilities and equipment made by our country. and we have been successful in this field. The commander of the army's ground forces, Kyomarth, said that 100% of the plan to block the eastern borders is based on artificial intelligence. The operation of blocking the Iran-Afghanistan border strip of more than 300 kilometers in Razavi Khorasan province has been going on for the past one year. Visiting the army units stationed at the Dogharon International Crossing was one of the other travel plans of the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the eastern borders of the country. The border of Dogharon, with a history of more than a century, is located 18 kilometers southeast of the city of Taibad. The center of Taibad city with a population of 145,000 is located 225 km southeast of Mashhad and has a 90 km common border with Afghanistan. Taibad is of special economic importance due to the existence of the Dogharon border crossing in this border strip. According to the public relations report of the Northeast region of the Army Ground Forces, the second Brigadier of the headquarters of Hassan Makfi said at the ceremony of naming the places and facilities of the Mashhad Water and Sewerage Company after Martyr "Waliullah Fallahi" that according to the announcement of the Minister of the Interior, the amount of three billion dollars was allocated for the implementation of the blocking plan. The eastern border (border with Afghanistan) is allocated. In describing the details of this blockage, Makfee pointed to the four-meter concrete wall plan, barbed wire, fence and basic road, which, according to him, is one of the things that will be implemented in a three-year period. The scope of this blocking plan, according to the statements of this senior officer, covers the northeast region and the provinces of Mazandaran, Golestan, Razavi Khorasan to North Khorasan, South Khorasan and Semnan, and operations and logistics must be managed in these provinces. The commander of readiness and support of the northeast region of the army ground force also stated that the border of Afghanistan was also handed over to the army from October 2017 and we are stationed on the border. Of course, it was in February of last year that Amir Kiyomarth Heydari, the commander of the army's ground forces, announced the decision of the army to build a border wall with Afghanistan and said, "All those who are neighbors with us in the border geography have always respected our good neighborliness. And we also respect and the Islamic Republic has never intended to threaten, violate, encroach and seize a portion of the territory of neighboring countries." Amir Heydari considered blocking the border between Iran and Afghanistan to be one of the "most important national projects". On the sidelines of his winter trip to the Iran-Afghanistan border last year, the commander of the Army Ground Force had announced the starting point of the plan to block the border with Afghanistan in the form of four construction operations from the northeast of the country, according to him, the fencing has been done so far. Then the groundwork and road construction will begin. According to this senior army commander, the plan to block the northeastern borders of the country with a length of 74 kilometers is being implemented through engineering units. Commander Nazaja continued that "a part of sustainable security is the issue of border blockade and this plan will bring this importance to the country, considering the situation in the region". Amir Heydari also clarified that "the presence of the army at the borders does not mean insecurity; Rather, it is for intelligence elites and military preparation." He added that "all borders of the country are safe and sometimes there are minor errors that do not pose a threat to the country's security." The commander of the army's ground forces also stated that "the fact that we want to create security on our borders is the recognition of the holy system of the Islamic Republic and how it wants to do this". According to Heydari, "We want to block our borders and we have the initiative to do so, and this is not oppression of the neighboring countries; Because it is common in all countries that they block the border with their own authority and plan and no one can object why you are doing this near our border. These words of Amir Heydari were actually a response to the words of Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Taliban government, in the same period of time about the plan to block the border strip between Iran and Afghanistan. Zabihullah Mujahid considered the implementation of the border blockade conditional on the agreement of both sides. Speaking to TOLOnews, the spokesperson of the Taliban government stated that Afghanistan is now "safe" and there is no threat to any country. He said, "When there was no security, there was war, there was occupation, and if such a thing was done, it would have a justification. Now the need for these measures is not seen." There are two broad views among experts about the border closure plan. At the same time, in a conversation with "Sharq" and their analysis of the action of the army ground forces to implement the plan to block the border between Iran and Afghanistan, they emphasized that this plan should be done sooner and simultaneously with the establishment of the Taliban government in the same two years. It was pre-executed. Recalling the bitter terrorist incident in Kerman and other offensive operations in Sistan-Balochistan province, they reminded the necessity of implementing the border blockade plan and stated that "considering the view and performance of the Taliban government in supporting terrorist groups in Afghanistan and increasing the amount of movements and attacks by terrorist groups on Iranian soil, the plan to block the border should be seriously put on the agenda. On the other hand, in an interview with Sharq, Tefiri had a completely different and even contradictory assessment and believed that "building a border wall between Iran and Afghanistan is not a solution to the problems caused by the entry of illegal Afghan immigrants and sometimes terrorism; It's just a way to ignore the facts." Acknowledging the rise of terrorism and the Taliban's support for terrorist groups in the past two years after this (Taliban) government came to power, they reminded that although the root of this terrorism and the source of insecurity in the east of the country goes back to the actions of the Taliban; But the current problems cannot be overcome by building a border wall.