Iran’s Look East Policy: New Directions

Iran’s Look East Policy is the first systematic analysis of the causes, manifestations, and consequences of Iran’s ＂Look East＂ policy and Iranian relations with countries as diverse as Russia, China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, the Central Asian states, and the South Caucasus. Edited by Mehran Kamrava, the essays in the book are framed around several recent ＂Look East＂ developments. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China had that country pledging to invest some ＄400 billion in Iran in return for the purchase of Iranian oil at heavily discounted prices. Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a highly publicized state visit to Iran. In 2023, Iran gained admittance into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This was followed by the announcement of Iran’s admission into the BRICS group.

Kamrava and the contributors to Iran’s Look East Policy examine the broader global import of changes in Iranian foreign policy as they relate to debates regarding regionalism, the potential ascendance of the East, and military, technological, and scientific cooperation among non-Western actors and powers.

Mehran Kamrava is Professor of Government at Georgetown University in Qatar and head of the Iranian Studies Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. He is the author of How Islam Rules in Iran and Righteous Politics.