International Conference on the Perspective of Global Power
Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran
February 27, 2023
Iran and the Semantic Diversity of Strategic Alliance and Isolation in International Relations
Sasan Karimi
Abstract: The meaning of strategic alliance in the literature of international relations is not uniform and specific, and apart from the various possible simultaneous interpretations, over time and with the changing requirements of the global order, the interpretations of this concept also undergo a double change, so that what is understood on both sides of a strategic relationship may have a fundamental difference and, apart from the outlines written on the understandings, analysis and expectations of each side from the behavior of the other, there may be a significant distance from what occurs at the moment of action.
Although Iran is located in a special and sensitive point in the world's political geography, at the same time, it does not consider fundamental partnership in its relations to be a given from a natural and civilizational point of view. Because, whether naturally or from a genealogical perspective, it is not located in the Turkish, Arab or Sunni blocs of the region and is considered an exception or, in other words, an "exception" in almost all the main axes governing the region. This, in addition to the geographical location that intensifies the competition of global powers, may potentially cause Iran's strategic isolation, which requires a proportionate and rich approach in foreign policy.
In this article, we will explain these two axes, and especially their intersection, and answer these two questions: first, what has been Iran's strategic position in relation to its potential strategic partners throughout the history of the modern state, and second, what is the understanding that has been and can be of this type of strategic alliances in Tehran and what effective misunderstandings it can cause in relations with the opposing parties.
Keywords: strategic alliance, strategic partnership, regional policy, global order, strategic isolation.
