Role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Regional and International Institutions

With the emergence of transnational and multilateral arrangements as major means of international negotiations and cooperation, questions have arisen about membership and participation in such arrangements: how to interact with them, and how to assess the impact of transnational institutions on national interests of member states. The present paper reviews the theoretical frameworks related to this issue before analyzing the role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in regional and international institutions and discussing the necessity of establishing a desirable and effective relations with international organizations. In doing this, the experience and scope of the presence and activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in these organizations have been divided into three periods: from the victory of the Islamic Revolution to the end of the Iraq’s war against Iran in 1988; from 1989 to 2004, and from 2004 up to the present time. The paper enumerates common features of these three periods as well as their differences to delineate an overall picture of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy with relation to regional and international institutions.