Comparing the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Jordan with the United Arab Emirates after the Arab Spring

Iran is situated in a delicate area of West Asia, commonly referred to as the Middle East. Given this geopolitical location, gaining knowledge about the various actors and the nature of their role-playing is of primary importance in shaping Iran's foreign relations and effectively guiding its regional policy. Among regional actors, there exist states that are commonly referred to as Small States in the field of International Relations. While sharing common characteristics that group them together under the umbrella term of ”Small States”, these governments demonstrate variations in their actions, which naturally have diverse impacts on the foreign relations of the Islamic Republic. This article utilizes qualitative documentary method to analyze and compare the foreign policies of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, particularly in the context of the Arab Spring events. The primary objective is to gain insight and comprehensively analyze and compare the differences in the foreign policies of these two governments.The findings demonstrate that, alongside prominent regional powers like the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, smaller governments like the United Arab Emirates and Jordan have also played significant roles in the post-Arab Spring era. The United Arab Emirates, despite its small size, has pursued an assertive foreign policy approach by forging alliances with major regional and international powers. This has led to the adoption of a military-centric model, reflecting in its active involvement in regional affairs such as Bahrain, the Yemen war, Iran's nuclear issue, and developments in Libya. Conversely, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has pursued a conflict-avoidance strategy, primarily relying on diplomatic and political means to safeguard its national interests while refraining from direct military engagement.