Foreign relations of Iran
Geography plays a crucial role in shaping Iran's foreign policy. After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the newly established Islamic Republic, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, made a significant shift from the pro-American stance adopted by the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Since then, the country's policies have fluctuated between two opposing approaches: one driven by revolutionary zeal to eradicate non-Muslim Western influences while promoting the Islamic revolution globally, and the other focused on pragmatism aimed at fostering economic development and normalizing international relations. As a result, Iran's bilateral interactions can often appear confusing and contradictory.
According to data released by RepTrak, Iran ranks as the second least reputable country in the world in terms of international standing, just above Iraq, a position it has maintained for three consecutive years—2016, 2017, and 2018. The issues of Islamism and nuclear proliferation frequently arise in discussions about Iran's foreign relations. A series of polls conducted by Pew Research in 2012 revealed that only one nation, Pakistan, had a majority of its population supporting Iran's right to develop nuclear weapons. In contrast, overwhelming majorities in other surveyed countries, particularly in Europe, North America, and South America (with 90-95% opposed), rejected the idea of a nuclear-armed Iran. Furthermore, many respondents from various nations, including Americans, Brazilians, Japanese, Mexicans, Egyptians, Germans, Britons, French, Italians, Spaniards, and Poles, showed majority support for implementing "tougher sanctions" against Iran. In contrast, majorities in China, Russia, and Turkey expressed opposition to such sanctions.
Diplomatic relations
List of countries which Iran maintains diplomatic relations with:
# | Country | Date |
---|---|---|
1 | Russia | 1521[1] |
2 | France | 13 August 1715[2] |
3 | United Kingdom | 5 June 1807[3] |
4 | Spain | 4 March 1842[4] |
5 | Netherlands | 5 January 1883[5] |
— | United States (suspended) | 11 June 1883[6] |
6 | Italy | 18 February 1886[7] |
7 | Belgium | 18 November 1889[8] |
8 | Sweden | 5 September 1897[9] |
9 | Bulgaria | 15 November 1897[10] |
10 | Romania | 24 July 1902[11] |
11 | Argentina | Template:DTS[12] |
12 | Greece | 19 November 1902[13][14] |
13 | Brazil | 17 June 1903[15] |
14 | Norway | 14 October 1908[16] |
15 | Switzerland | 4 March 1919[17] |
16 | Afghanistan | 2 May 1920[18] |
17 | Denmark | 3 February 1922[19] |
— | Egypt (suspended) | 1923[20] |
18 | Czech Republic | 22 June 1925[21] |
19 | Austria | 26 July 1925[22] |
20 | Poland | 19 March 1927[23] |
21 | Turkey | 21 October 1928[24] |
22 | Iraq | 25 April 1929[25] |
23 | Japan | 4 August 1929[26] |
24 | Saudi Arabia | 24 August 1929[27][28] |
25 | Finland | 12 December 1931[29] |
26 | Luxembourg | 23 May 1936[30] |
27 | Serbia | 30 April 1937[31] |
28 | Chile | 6 June 1944[32] |
29 | Lebanon | 21 September 1944[33] |
30 | Syria | 12 November 1946[34] |
31 | Pakistan | 22 August 1947[35] |
32 | Iceland | 15 March 1948[36] |
33 | Jordan | 16 November 1949[37] |
34 | India | 15 March 1950[38] |
35 | Indonesia | July 1950[39] |
36 | Venezuela | 9 August 1950[40] |
37 | Ethiopia | 1950[41] |
38 | Hungary | 1951[42] |
39 | Germany | 26 February 1952[43] |
— | Template:Country data Holy See | 2 May 1953[44] |
— | Canada (suspended) | 9 January 1955[45] |
40 | Thailand | 9 November 1955[46][47] |
41 | Portugal | 15 October 1956[48] |
— | Morocco (suspended) | 5 November 1957[49] |
42 | Tunisia | 5 November 1957[50][51] |
43 | Dominican Republic | 24 October 1958[52] |
44 | Kuwait | 17 December 1961[53] |
45 | South Korea | 23 October 1962[54] |
46 | Sri Lanka | 1962[55] |
47 | Philippines | 22 January 1964[56] |
48 | Algeria | 23 September 1964[57] |
49 | Mexico | 15 October 1964[58] |
50 | Nepal | 14 December 1964[59] |
51 | Libya | 30 December 1967[60] |
52 | Laos | 1967[61] |
53 | Myanmar | 8 August 1968[62] |
54 | Australia | 21 September 1968[63] |
55 | Eswatini | 15 December 1969[64] |
56 | Malaysia | 16 June 1970[65] |
57 | Malawi | 5 April 1971[66] |
58 | Guinea | 26 April 1971[67] |
59 | Senegal | 13 May 1971[68] |
60 | Mongolia | 20 May 1971[69] |
— | Albania (suspended) | title=Iran Almanac and Book o
References
|