Indo-Pacific Role in Iran’s East Look Strategy

Abstract

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, many countries with a multidimensional and strategic view of regionalism and related issues paid special attention to securing, guaranteeing, and maximizing their national interests. Following the international developments that emerged in the atmosphere after the 1979 revolution, the political elites of the Islamic Republic of Iran —taking into account the historical experience and the cold relations with the West— tried to create deep political and economic constructive cooperation and interaction based on the East Look strategy with resource centers and revisionist countries in competition with America’s new order. This approach was reflected in official documents such as the Twenty-Year Vision, General Policies document approved by the Assembly, the Expediency Discernment Council and the Constitutional Law.

Many practical and theoretical views have been expressed following the East Look strategy, which takes a strategic approach to regions beyond Iran’s northeastern, eastern, and southeastern borders, especially China and Russia. The first existing point of view, which is largely pragmatic, provides clear and codified definitions of the geographical, spatial, and identity characteristics of the Eastern region, especially China, and believes in establishing converging relations in the form of bilateral and multilateral coalitions. The second point of view, which does not have a geographical view and is mainly based on values, views the East as an ideological geography that can challenge the Western values and norms governing the field of international politics. A third point of view, reminiscent of the bipolar era, assigns a completely ideological role to the Eastern sphere in front of the Western world, from the standpoint of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Of course, there is another point of view which, contrary to the prevailing opinion of experts who consider the East Look strategy to be effective from economic and cultural links and civilizational fields, argues that, due to the increasing pressures of the West, and especially America, towards the Islamic Republic of Iran, the political elites are trying to find strategic allies, including China, to increase national security and manage sanctions imposed by the West in the anarchic international system. Iran's East Look policy is one of the strategic policies aimed at balancing political and economic relations with both Western and East Asian countries, considering their potential capacities. However, under the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s foreign policy, while remaining committed to general policies, tried to create special intellectual and principled foundations to govern its behavior and orientation toward Iran’s diplomatic system. This orientation, under the influence of America’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), once again brought regionalism, neighborhood policy, and the East Look strategy to the forefront of the new Iranian government’s foreign policy agenda.

Therefore, in recent years, to consolidate and achieve its national interests through redefining the traditional East Look strategy, the Islamic Republic of Iran has paid special attention to establishing close relations and interaction with the countries present in the Indo-Pacific strategic region. Accordingly, the article answers, with a descriptive-analytical approach, and by applying the assumptions of constructivist theory, the question: what are the motivations for being in the Indo-Pacific in Iran’s East Look strategy?

Based on the hypothesis that this engagement is affected by the challenges imposed by Western sanctions against Iran, and given the special position that the Indo-Pacific strategic area has in the post-Cold War geopolitical equations, Iran’s diplomatic apparatus has strong incentives to be present in the Indo-Pacific within the framework of the East Look strategy, which is expected to play a significant role in the future.

The case study of Iran within the framework of its East Look strategy and its engagements in the Indo-Pacific region holds substantial theoretical importance for discussions on foreign policy and state identity formation. First, Iran represents a unique case as a state in which identity has been shaped at the intersection of revolutionary, religious, and nationalist discourses, making it an ideal subject for examining how identity translates into strategic foreign policy actions. Second, the study demonstrates how marginalized states in the international system (such as Iran, which faces Western sanctions and isolationist policies) employ identity-driven mechanisms to redefine national interests and strategic alliances. Analyzing Iran from this perspective provides a comparative framework for understanding the behavior of other states such as North Korea, Venezuela, or even Russia, which have adopted similar strategies due to their distinct political identities and peripheral positions. Third, focusing on the Indo-Pacific as a discursively constructed space allows for an exploration of how non-material variables (such as civilizational narratives or anti-colonial norms) shape states’ foreign policy preferences. Consequently, this study not only enriches constructivist literature in International Relations but also offers practical insights into the logic of action employed by challenger states within the international order. The element of oriental authenticity as an identity-creating factor is rooted in Iranians’ sense of belonging to the great and ancient Eastern civilization. As bearers of one of Asia’s richest cultural and civilizational heritages, Iranians have long associated their identity with historical ties to the East, resulting in centuries of cultural interaction and trade with other Eastern nations.

The research findings suggest that a core component of Iran’s Indo-Pacific orientation involves deepening ties with Beijing. This is evident in areas such as transportation and transit, scientific and technological diplomacy, and energy security. The development of Iran-China relations can be analyzed through key variables: global power shifts, US-Iran tensions, civilizational affinities between Iran and China, and Iran’s unique economic and energy role. Economically, it is necessary to pay attention to cooperation with China in the form of a twenty-five-year comprehensive strategic plan because the two countries are involved in wide-ranging issues such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) megaproject, the complementary economies of the two countries, and cooperation in the field of energy (petroleum and petrochemicals). Cooperation in the field of technology and infrastructure, bilateral currency agreements, dollarization, and China’s macro strategy in the global financial field have many commonalities.

Applying constructivism to international relations, Iran’s East Look strategy can be understood as a socially constructed response to shifting geopolitical narratives, where regional identities and intersubjective understandings of power dynamics influence foreign policy choices. The Indo-Pacific, in this context, is not merely a geographic space but a socially constructed arena where norms, historical narratives, and identity politics shape Iran’s strategic engagements.

In short, it can be said that the revival of the South-South foreign policy orientation, the consolidation of Iran’s presence in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), as well as the sustainable supply of energy, the acquisition of modern technologies, and the establishment of a location along international corridors are the main motivations for Iran to be present in the Indo-Pacific region in the future. Also, this article argues that the analysis of Iran’s East Look policy can be understood from the perspective of structuralist theory, the role of identity components and shared intersubjective norms and values, and the rooting of some of Iran’s foreign policy behaviors and actions and national interests pursued in the Indo-Pacific region.