지정학적 중간국 이란의 외교 전략 연구

The Study of Iran’s Foreign Strategy as a Geopolitical Middle Ground State

Iran is a geopolitically very important country and is located in a geopolitical Middle Ground State where the Great Powers compete and clash. Iran is a geographically located country in Southwest Asia. It is located in the Iranian plateau between the Indus and Tigris, and has served as a geopolitical hub connecting Asia and Europe. Due to these geopolitical factors, Iran’s history has been marked by various foreign invasions and interventions. Iran traditionally has culture of resistance to foreign power and based on this, it advocates equidistant diplomatic principle against the great powers. After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran’s foreign strategy has pursued a balanced diplomatic strategy that emphasizes the ‘Islamic Republic’ and advocates its independent self-reliance. However, the US declared a war on terrorism after the September 11, 2011, and carried out the Afghanistan War in 2001 and the Iraq War in 2003, further strengthening sanctions and pressure on Iran. As a result, Iran’s foreign policy has strengthened its security-based defensive moves and pushed for a new alliance to minimize threats. Iran has adopted the Look East Policy to strengthen relations between China and Russia. In addition, as the US-China hegemony competition intensified, Iran has been embodied as a hedging strategy that appropriately utilizes balance and side-stepping.