Geopolitical Linkage and the Moderation Discourse in the Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran

To investigate the factors of change and continuity in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran would require an analysis of the sources and elements that shape it. One of these important factors is geopolitical location, which has directly and indirectly influenced Iranian foreign policy. This would contradict neutrality and isolationism, demanding an outward-looking, active foreign policy. The Rouhani government’s foreign policy discourse concerning the linkage between moderation and diplomatic dynamism constitutes the pivot of Iran’s nuclear diplomacy and efforts at finding a role for Iran in handling regional security crises. In such context, moderation can be understood as balancing between realism and idealism. The authors test the hypothesis that the necessities of managing crises in the Middle Eastern securitized environment where geopolitically important countries are located, would require taking advantage of moderation in foreign policy. They use the constructivist approach to conduct the research.