IRAN'S RELATIONS WITH SOUTH ASIA, CENTRAL ASIA, CHINA AND RUSSIA

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of Iran's foreign policy and its complex web of relationships with the key regions and powers of Asia, including South Asia, Central Asia, China, and Russia. It examines how post-revolutionary Iran, facing hostility from the West, pursued a strategy of diversifying its foreign relations by "looking East." The study analyzes the specific dynamics of Iran's relationship with each of these actors. It explores the historical and cultural ties with South Asia, particularly Pakistan and India. It delves into the new opportunities and rivalries in post-Soviet Central Asia, where Iran competed for influence with Turkey and other powers. The research also assesses the growing strategic and economic partnership with China and the more pragmatic, interest-based relationship with Russia. The paper argues that this eastward-oriented foreign policy was a crucial strategy for overcoming its international isolation. The analysis concludes by evaluating the success of this strategy in advancing Iran's national interests.

In the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the long war with Iraq, Iran found itself diplomatically isolated from the West. This paper examines the subsequent and strategically crucial "look East" policy that became a cornerstone of its foreign relations. The study is structured as a multi-regional analysis. The first section focuses on South Asia. It explores the complex relationship with Pakistan, a fellow Islamic republic but also a rival for influence in Afghanistan, and the more pragmatic, economically-driven relationship with India. The second section delves into the new geopolitical arena of post-Soviet Central Asia. It analyzes Iran's efforts to leverage its cultural and religious ties to build influence in countries like Tajikistan, while also competing with other regional powers. The third and fourth sections examine Iran's relationships with the two major Asian powers. The paper details the deepening strategic partnership with China, which became a vital source of investment, technology, and diplomatic support for Iran. It also analyzes the more cautious and transactional relationship with Russia, which was based on a mix of shared interests in opposing US hegemony and underlying competition in areas like the Caspian Sea. The findings reveal a sophisticated and multi-dimensional foreign policy, where Iran skillfully engaged with a diverse set of Asian actors to counterbalance Western pressure and to pursue its own regional and national objectives.