The influence of geopolitics on the direction of the nations’ foreign policies and the international system has always been a major preoccupation of the international relations scholars. Over the recent years, particularly after 9/11, the influence has doubled. Enjoying geopolitical and geostrategic significance, the Middle East is a region which has witnessed many changes in this regard, drawing considerable attention. Thus, knowledge of modern Middle Eastern geopolitics and assessing current international developments within a geopolitical framework are bound to have an effective influence on adoption of proper foreign policy on the part of the regional countries.
This essay studies developments after 9/11, using modern geopolitics to examine different periods in Iran’s foreign policy. Given Iran is a key, influential player in the political-social developments in the Middle East, the essay looks at the position of modern geopolitics in devising the foreign policy of Iran towards the Middle Eastern countries, advocating a model of competition and interaction for Iran’s foreign policy.