Iran and the international system: integration or confrontation?

JIN Liangxiang1

【Abstract】Upon the founding of the Islamic Republic, Iran regarded export of Islamic Revolution as its major task, but had to choose the survival, security and legitimacy of the Islamic Republic as reasonable objectives after frustration. Iran’s policy toward the international system had always been a major part of its foreign policy. It is both out of domestic politics whether Iran had been confronting against the system or endeavoring to get integrated into the system. Generally speaking, the evolution of Iran’s positions toward the international system since the founding of the Islamic Republic had experienced four stages. Despite the evolution, Iran’s foreign policy had been consistently featured more or less with challenging against the system all through the stages since the strong political factions opposing the international system dominated by the West are always there. Iran did in some stages work hard to get recognized politically by the United States, the West and the international system, but unfortunately had not been reciprocated by the West. Iran had been underpolitical isolation, economic sanctions and military threat all through the forty years since the revolution. Iran’s unsuccessful integration into the international system can be attributed to both its own domestic and international restrictions. Iran’s case indicates that the relations between actors and the system, integration or confrontation, will not only depend on whether the actors will adapt themselves into the system, but also depend on whether the system itself is diversified and inclusive enough. The rising of new economies signifies the changing of international power structure, which will be an opportunity for Iran to get integrated into the system.

【Keywords】 Iran’s foreign relations; international system; United States; Khomeini; Rafsanjani; Khatami; Rouhani;

【DOI】

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