The Orientation of the Foreign Policy of the Safavids in the Ottoman-European Debate (From the Zuhab Treaty to the downfall of the Safavids)

The existence of a common enemy between the Safavids and the European countries from the 10th C. of Hijrah / beginning of the 16th C. led to the close ties between Iran and Europe. They tried to establish Political – Military Unions against the Ottoman government so as to force and finally defeat this powerful enemy. The Safavid government in their foreign policy oriented itself toward coalition and union with the Europeans and against the Ottoman. This coalition never took place in despite the diplomatic debates with the European countries involved in war with the Ottoman government. The Zuhab Treaty (1049 Hijrah/ 1639) between Iran and the Ottoman, caused changes in the Iranian orientation in the Ottoman-European debate. Disappointed with the Europeans, the Safavids chose an neutrality oreintation that continued to their downfall. The present article aims at investigating the processes, hows and whys of taking such new strategy in the foreign policy of the Safavids from the Zuhab Treaty to their downfall. The research method was descriptive – analytical historical method and the means of data collection was library sources and documents. The findings of this research show that after the Zuhab Treaty the Safavids chose an neutrality oreintation in the Ottoman-European debate; the Safavids’ lack of trust in the Europeans, their commitment to the Zuhab Treaty, their safe and friendly relations with the Ottoman as well as the weakness of the Iranian armed forces during this period were the causes to take an neutrality oreintation by the Safavids.