Geography is an important factor in informing Iran's foreign policy. Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution,the newly formed Islamic Republic,under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini,dramatically reversed the pro-American foreign policy of the last Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Since the country's policies then oscillated between the two opposing tendencies of revolutionary ardour to eliminate non-Muslim Western influences while promoting the Islamic revolution abroad,and pragmatism,which would advance economic development and normalization of relations,bilateral dealings can be confused and contradictory.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political,economic,international security and defence organization established by China and Russia in 2001. It is the world's largest regional organization in terms of geographic scope and population,covering approximately 24% of the area of world and 42% of the world population. As of 2024,its combined nominal GDP accounts for around 23%,while its GDP based on PPP comprises approximately 36% of the world's total.
The Economic Cooperation Organization or ECO is a Eurasian political and economic intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1985 in Tehran by the leaders of Iran,Pakistan,and Turkey. It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities. The ECO is an ad hoc organisation under the United Nations Charter. The objective is to establish a single market for goods and services,much like the European Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union,the ECO expanded to include Afghanistan,Azerbaijan,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan,and Uzbekistan in 1992.
The Faculty of Law and Political Science at University of Tehran is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Iran. It was initially established in College of Political Science in 1899 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most of the nation's political elite graduated from the school.
The Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) is a foreign policy think tank based in Tehran,Iran and affiliated to Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was founded in 1983 as one of the first think tanks in Iran after the 1979 Iranian Revolution with the task of leading and encouraging the study and research on issues relevant to the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Shahed University is a public university in Tehran,Iran. The campus is located in the southern part of Tehran along the Persian Gulf Freeway. Founded in 1990,the university started its activities by accepting 165 students in seven disciplines in 1991. It now has 10,000 students enrolled in 100 programs,8 faculties,and 7 research institutions.
Official diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran were established following the dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991). Iran and Azerbaijan share,to a large extent,the same history,religion,and culture. The territory of what is now called the Republic of Azerbaijan was separated from Iran in the first half of the 19th century,through the Russo-Persian Wars. In the area to the North of the river Aras,the territory of the contemporary Republic of Azerbaijan was part of Iran until it was occupied by Russia. Iran and Azerbaijan are both majority Shia Muslim nations. They have respectively the highest and second highest Shia population percentage in the world,as well as the history of Shi'ism which is rooted in both nations from exactly the same moment in history,whereas the majority of the population of both their neighboring nations are either predominantly Christians or Sunni Muslims. However,there are some tensions between the two countries as its political alignment may vary by degree. The Republic of Azerbaijan has become increasingly pro-Western aligned,and is an ally of Israel,Turkey and the United States while the Islamic Republic of Iran is largely pro-Russian and pro-Chinese aligned due to its hostility towards the U.S. and has been targeted with sanctions. Iranian politicians,like Mohammad Hosseini,have called Azerbaijan an Israeli proxy.
Russia–Uzbekistan relations are the bilateral relations between Russia and Uzbekistan.
Sayyid Abbas Araghchi is an Iranian diplomat and politician,who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran since August 2024. He previously served as the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador.
Iran–Kazakh relations are the foreign relations and diplomatic ties between Iran and Kazakhstan.
The Islamic Azad University,Science and Research Branch is a private research university located in Tehran,Iran. This university is ranked 647 in the world,379 in research,416 in innovation and 231 in social. [1] Tehran Science and Research Unit is located next to the central organization of Islamic Azad University. This is the independent comprehensive university and the best and largest Islamic Azad University[2] and has research and laboratory centers[3] specializing in educational fields at the undergraduate,master's and doctorate levels,and professionals. More than 50,000 students are offered [4] Many figures and university professors are graduates of this university unit. In academics,there are more than 1000 full-time,part-time and visiting professors in various fields.
Hossein Hafezian is an Iranian political scientist and author specializing in the role of women in Muslim countries.
Saied Reza Ameli is a (full) professor of communication at the University of Tehran. He is currently a member of Department of Communications and the director of the UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture,and Cyberspace Policy Research Center,Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran. Over the past decade,Ameli has been working on issues of Muslim minority identity in the West,and Muslim minority rights in UK,France and the U.S. He also serves as the editor-in-chief of Journal of Cyberspace Studies. He was also Secretary of Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. He is the member of Supreme Council of Cyberspace and Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution.
Mohsen Milani is a political scientist,foreign policy analyst,public commentator and professor of politics. He has been the executive founding director for the Center for Strategic &Diplomatic Studies at the University of South Florida,since 2013.
The Institute for Iran-Eurasia Studies,commonly known as IRAS,founded in 2004,is an independent,non-profit,non-governmental think tank and publisher based in Tehran.
Beibut Atamkulov is a Kazakh politician and diplomat currently serving as the Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development. He served as a Minister of Foreign Affairs from December 2018 to September 2019. Atamkulov has an economic and financial background. Previously,Atamkulov served as the head of the newly created Ministry of Defence and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan.
The Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies is one of the faculties of University of Tehran,which was established in 1935.
This is a select bibliography of English language books and journal articles about the history of Central Asia. A brief selection of English translations of primary sources is included. Book entries have references to journal articles and reviews about them when helpful. Additional bibliographies can be found in many of the book-length works listed below;see Further reading for several book and chapter-length bibliographies.
