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| Government of Islamic Republic of Iran |
Geography is an important factor in informing Iran's foreign policy.[1] Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the newly formed Islamic Republic, under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, dramatically reversed the pro-American foreign policy of the last Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Since the country's policies then oscillated between the two opposing tendencies of revolutionary ardour to eliminate non-Muslim Western influences while promoting the Islamic revolution abroad, and pragmatism, which would advance economic development and normalization of relations, bilateral dealings can be confused and contradictory.
According to data published by the Reputation Institute, Iran is the world's second least internationally reputable country, just ahead of Iraq, and has held that position for the three consecutive years of 2016, 2017, and 2018.[2][3] Islamism and nuclear proliferation are recurring issues with Iran's foreign relations. In a series of international polls by Pew Research in 2012, only one country (Pakistan) had the majority of its population supporting Iran's right to acquire nuclear arms; every other population polled overwhelmingly rejected a nuclear-armed Iran (90–95% opposed in the polled European, North American, and South American countries), and majorities in most of them were in favor of military action to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran from materializing. Additionally, the majority of Americans, Brazilians, Japanese, Mexicans, Egyptians, Germans, Britons, French, Italians, Spaniards, and Poles (among other national groups) had majority support for "tougher sanctions" on Iran, while majorities in China, Russia, and Turkey opposed tougher sanctions.[4]
- ^ A. Ehteshami (2002). "The foreign policy of Iran" (PDF). In Raymond Hinnebusch, Anoushiravan Ehteshami (ed.). The foreign policies of Middle East states. Boulder, Col.: Lynne Rienner publ. pp. 283–290.
- ^ CountryReptTrak: 2018 Archived 24 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Reputation Institute. Accessed 24 April 2019.
- ^ Staufenberg, Jess. "Countries with the best and worst reputations for 2016 revealed" Archived 24 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. 11 August 2016.
- ^ "A Global “No” To a Nuclear-Armed Iran" Archived 26 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Pew Research Center. May 2012.