Iran-Arab relations
Encyclopedia
Within the Middle East
historical conflicts have always coloured neighbouring Arab countries
' perceptions about Iran
. At times peacefully coexisting, while at other times in bitter conflict. North African Arabs generally enjoyed closer relations with Iran due to limited historical connection between them and Iran.
Ayatollah
Khomeini, leader of the Islamic revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its first supreme leader
declared that, "The concept of monarchy totally contradicts Islam
." Therefore Arab leaders
developed a hostile attitude towards the Islamic republic of Iran. Khomeini's idea of supporting the mustaz^afeen (those who are wronged or oppressed) as opposed to the mustakbareen (those who are arrogant) led to many problems with neighboring countries due to some Arab regimes being judged by Iranian jurists to be among the mustakbareen. Ayatollah
Khomeini was open about his intention to export the revolution to other parts of the Muslim world. Thus, during the early 1980s, Iran was isolated regionally and internationally. This diplomatic and economic isolation intensified during the Iran–Iraq War in which almost all neighboring Arab states, except Syria
, supported Iraq logistically and economically on moral grounds. According to some observers, Saddam Hussein
fought on behalf of other Arab states that viewed the Islamic Republic as a potential threat to their stability.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the revolutionary zeal cooled and a degree of pragmatism was adopted by Iranian policy makers. During the presidency of Akbar Hashemi and Mohammad Khatami
Iranian foreign policy switched to reducing international tensions and Iran tried to normalize its relations with its Arab neighbors. When the U.S. attacked Iraq in the early 1990s, it indeliberately promoted Iran's political influence in the Middle East
.
Since 2000 the situation changed completely. The most significant factor was Bush administration's decision to attack Iraq in 2003 which led to the fall of Saddam, a ba'athist leader with pan-Arab sympathies who was determined to balance Shi'a Iran's regional influence. With the deposition of Saddam, Iran found a major obstacle to its expansion removed. This gave Iran a good chance to emerge as a major player in the Middle East with Islamic ideology which filled the void of Marxism, Socialism and Nationalism in the region especially among the Shia.
As Richard Haass quoted Iran will be one of the two most powerful states in the region...The influence of Iran and groups associated with it has been reinforced. Iran could find allies in Arab world comprising Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. On the other hand some Arab states including Saudi Arabia
, Jordan
, Egypt
and United Arab Emirates
united against Iran, which are supported by the U.S.. Other Arab countries, especially those in Africa, continued to have normal relations with Iran.
Another aspect of tension between Shia-dominated Iran and Sunni-dominated Arab countries has been sectarianism. During the early days of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini endeavored to bridge the gap between Shias and Sunnis by forbidding criticizing the Caliphs who preceded Ali. He also declared it permissible for Shiites to pray behind Sunni imams. However, the influence of Iran on Shiite communities outside its borders and the territorial disputes with Arab neighbors among other issues remain sources of tension in Arab-Iranian relations.
Diplomatic cables leaked in 2010 revealed Sunni Arab leaders singled out Iran as the greatest threat to regional stability, yet refuse to speak publicly, telling US diplomats in private, they'd face domestic troubles if they were seen as siding with the West against a Muslim country. The cables showed that Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain supported a military attack against Iran aimed to stop the Iranian nuclear program.
, in 1981 Algeria's role was instrumental in the release of the US diplomatic hostages held in Iran.
In 1998 Iran became increasingly critical of Algeria's heavy handed security forces, especially during several massacres during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
and led efforts to pressure Algeria to act more humanely through the international community. Algeria in turn blamed Iran for the massacre.
After a decade, in early September 2000, diplomatic relations between Algeria and Iran were re-established in a decision made by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika
on the sidelines of the United Nations
millennium summit. The resumption of relations paved the way for number of agreements "on bilateral cooperation in the areas of judicial affairs, finance, industry, and air transport". Relations continued to strengthen rapidly after that to the extent that in 2002 Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani
and Algerian Joint Chief of Staff Muhamed al- Imari Wednesday signed and agreement for military and technical cooperation in Iran http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1:93218235/Iran,+Algeria+sign+MoU+for+military+cooperation.html?refid=ency_topnm. In the recent 2006 UN vote on Iran's nuclear programme, Algeria abstained from voting.
. The coup would have installed a Shia cleric exiled in Iran, Hojjat ol-Eslam Hādī al-Mudarrisī, as supreme leader heading a theocratic government. The Bahraini government unofficially regarded the coup as Iran attempting to overthrow their Sunni government. Iran denied all knowledge saying the fundamentalists were inspired by the Iranian revolution but had received no support from Iran. Fearful of a recurrence, the episode caused Bahrain to crack down on its Shia population putting thousands into jail and further souring relations with Shia Iran. Recently the countries are beginning to enjoy closer relations again and have engaged in many joint economic ventures. Iran has been severely critical of Bahrain hosting the US navy Fifth Fleet within the Persian Gulf
.
were upgraded to ambassadorial level, and Youssef Zulficar Pasha
was appointed as Egypt's first ambassador in Tehran
. In the same year, Princess Fawzia of Egypt, the sister of King Farouk I
, married Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, the then crown prince (later shah) of Iran. However, relations between the two countries collapsed with the sudden eruption of the Islamic revolution
in Iran in 1978–79. When the Shah
fell, Egypt was bound to disapprove of his replacement, Ruhollah Khomeini
, who returned the sentiment in full measure. Furthermore, in 1979, Anwar Sadat
infuriated the new Iranian government by welcoming Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, the exiled Shah of Iran
, for a short, but indefinite, stay. In 1979, Iran officially cut all ties with Egypt. This move was a response to the 1978 Camp David Accords
, as well as Egypt's support for Iraq in the Iraq–Iran War. In 1981, Iran symbolically dedicated a street to Khaled Islambouli, Sadat's assassin.
While trade relations slowly improved during the 1990s, Khaled al-Islambouli was honored for a second time in 2001 "with a huge new mural" in Tehran. Two years later, in late 2003, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
met with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
in Geneva. Khatami openly invited Mubarak to Iran, but Mubarak refused to make such a trip or normalize relations until all "public tributes" to Islambouli were "erased". In early 2004, Iran agreed to change the offending street name to Muhammad al-Durrah
, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy.
In 2010, leaked diplomatic cables revealed that Mubarak expressed animosity toward Iran in private meetings, saying the Iranian leaders are "big, fat liars", and that Iran's backing of terrorism is "well-known". According to one American report, Mubarak views Iran as the primary long-term challenge facing Egypt, and an Egyptian official said that Iran is running agents inside Egypt in an effort to subvert the Egyptian regime.
null and void. Several days later on September 22 Iraq invaded Iran in the Iran–Iraq War. Lasting till 1988 the brutal war killed over one million people and critically soured Arab–Iranian relations. The Iranian government officially viewed the conflict not as Arab vs. Iranian but from a religious perspective of Shia versus Sunni, although many in Iran did view the conflict as an Arab versus Iran issue. In Iraq the conflict was continually presented in a historical context as Arab versus Persian
. The impact of the war was devastating to relations in the region; general Arab support for Iraq and a fear of Shia Muslims led to many disputes between Iran and the other Persian Gulf states
. The war was a primary cause for the rise of anti-Arabism
within Iran, which had until then been largely insignificant. The war ended with a UN sponsored cease-fire.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein and the second Iraq war, Iran has been a close ally to Iraq's new government and has established full diplomatic relations with Iraq. There has been an exponential increase in trade and tourism between the two countries. Iran was the first country in the middle east to establish full diplomatic relations with the new Iraq government. President Ahmadinejad has visited Baghdad, and on numerous occasions the Iraqi leadership has visited Tehran.
In September 2000, King Abdullah
met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
on the sidelines of the Millennium Summit in New York. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/03052002003.htm Shortly thereafter, trade between Jordan and Iran increased dramatically. According to figures from Jordan's Central Bank, "trade between Jordan and Iran reached $20 million in 2001, up some 46 percent on the previous year's $13.7 million."
On September 2 and 3, 2003, King Abdullah II visited Tehran, making him the first Jordanian king to visit "Tehran since the launching of the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979".
(now the Amir of Kuwait) visited Iran and congratulated the Islamic Revolution, yet the Sunni led government of Kuwait
became fearful of its large Shia population and of possible Iranian hegemony in the Persian Gulf
and began to regard Iran with increasing suspicion. When the Iran–Iraq War broke out with Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, Kuwait deeply supported the Iraqi move. It was an action that was bitterly resented by Iran. Throughout the war Kuwait provided Iraq with billions of dollars in military and social aid as well as logistical support by allowing Iraqi use of its ports. Iran consequently led a failed attempt to attack a Kuwaiti refinery complex in 1981 (intercepted and blocked by Iraqi air force), which inspired subsequent acts of sabotage in 1983 and 1986. In 1985 a member of the underground pro-Iranian Iraqi radical group al-Da'wah attempted to assassinate the Kuwaiti ruler, Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad Al Sabah.
In September 1986, while the Iran–Iraq War was still raging on, Iran began to concentrate its attacks on Persian Gulf shipping, largely on Kuwaiti tankers in an effort to dissuade Arab support for Iraq. This led Kuwait to invite both the Soviet Union
(with which it had established diplomatic relations in 1963) and the United States
to provide protection for its tankers in early 1987.
In 1990, following the Persian Gulf War
Iraqi–Kuwaiti relations suffered bitterly and consequently Kuwaiti–Iranian relations began to improve. Bilateral relations were gradually strengthened, with exchanges of Iranian and Kuwaiti political and economic delegations leading to the signing of several economic and trade agreements.
In February 2006, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vistied Kuwait opening a new chapter in relations between the two countries. The well reported visit was the first to Kuwait by a high-ranking Iranian official in 27 years.
The foreign ministers of Iraq, Lebanon and Syria supported Iran's nuclear work, calling for Israel to be stripped off its nuclear arsenal. Israel is believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal. Iran refuses to recognize Israel.
Following American threats to cut off funding for the Lebanese Army should it not be verified that Hezbollah would be kept from getting access to it, Lebanon's Defense Minister Elias Murr
set up a fund to ask for donations to the armed forced. A few weeks later Suleiman asked Iran to consider selling advanced military equipment to the Lebanese Army Hezbollah support the President's call. The next day, Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi
expressed readiness to offer military aid to Lebanon.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
planned to visit Lebanon in October 2010, amidst controversy and pressure from the United States, Israel, and a section of the March 14 alliance
such as Samir Geagea
to cancel the trip. However, his Lebanese counterpart, Michel Suleiman
, who had invited him, and other opposition figures hailed the visit. The March 8 alliance
's parliamentary leader Michel Aoun
, Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem
and former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss supported his visit.
with most of the Arab countries when it came out in support of Iran during the Iran–Iraq War.
severed all diplomatic relations with Iran in protest of the nation's supposed refusal to negotiate an end to the Iran–Iraq War.
in response to King Hassan II's decision to give asylum to the exiled Shah. A decade later, diplomatic relations between the two nations were renewed, but another decade would have to pass before Abderrahmane Youssoufi
, the prime minister of Morocco, would lead the first Moroccan delegation to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Morocco
has cut diplomatic links with Iran
on March 6, 2009.
Morocco
's Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Friday that Morocco has cut its diplomatic ties with Iran following Tehran
's remarks over Bahrain
.
Morocco
also accused Iran
spreading its Shi’ite brand of Islam
in Sunni Morocco
.
dispute had been heavily influenced by its diplomatic relations with the neighbouring countries, Morocco and Algeria. Since late January 1979, the deposed Shah of Persia, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, had been granted asylum in Morocco by Hassan II, who refused to repatriate him back to Iran to be judged, causing finally the break of relations between Iran and Morocco in 1981. Previously, on February 27, 1980, Iran gave formal diplomatic recognition to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
as the legitimate government of the territory of Western Sahara
. The support to the Polisario Front
continued during the eighties, allowing the Sahrawi
national liberation movement
to open a diplomatic representation in Tehran
. In 1993, Iran broke relations with Algeria, because of charges by Algerian government about Iran supporting the Islamic Salvation Front
. In parallel, the POLISARIO bureau in Iran was closed by the authorities. After renewing diplomatic ties with Algeria in 2000, Iran had tried to maintain a neutral stance in the conflict. Iran still recognises the right of self-determination of the Sahrawi people but not the SADR
.
remained neutral, preferring to take no sides. This allowed it to be in the position to attempt to bring Iran and Iraq into a negotiated settlement after the war in 1994.
Since then peaceful ties have continued and expanded.
Iranian government also gives substantial assistance to the Hamas
government in Gaza
, which is embargoed by Israel and depends on outside sources for an estimated 90% of its budget. Iranian support has not been unconditional however, and in July and August 2011 Iran cut funding to show its displeasure at "Hamas's failure to hold public rallies in support" of Syria
n President Bashir al-Assad who had killed several hundred Syrians during the 2011 Syrian uprising
. In part for this reason, Hamas was unable to pay July salaries of its "40,000 civil service and security employees."
Iran does not recognize the state of Israel and instead regards it as 'Palestine under occupation'. During the era of the Iranian Monarchy (1948–1979) under the Pahlavi Dynasty, Iran enjoyed cordial relations with Israel. Israel regarded Iran, a non-Arab power on the periphery of the Arab world, as a natural ally and counterweight to Arab ambitions as part of David Ben-Gurion's alliance of the periphery. Even after the Iranian Revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini's public condemnations of the "Zionist entity". Iran suggests that all Israeli 'occupied territory' is either given back to their respective countries (ex. Golan Heights back to Syria) or is replaced with a Palestinian state. Iran also feels that Jerusalem should returned to the Palestinians.
In 1991, following the end of the Persian Gulf War
, Shaykh Hamad ibn Khalifa welcomed Iranian participation in Persian Gulf security arrangements, however due to resistance from other Persian Gulf Arab States these never came into fruition. Additionally, plans were being formulated in 1992 to pipe water from the Karun River in Iran to Qatar, but after local resistance in Iran this was laid to rest.
The Iranian community in Qatar, although large, is well integrated and has not posed a threat to the regime. Today relations between the two countries are cordial.
in Mecca
. In 1987 they succeeded, however Saudi police crushed the demonstration violently causing the Iranian pilgrims to riot.
Immediately following the riot, Ruhollah Khomeini
called for Muslims to avenge the pilgrims' deaths by overthrowing the Saudi royal family. The Saudi government blamed the riot on the Iranian pilgrims and claimed that the pilgrim riot had been part of a plot to destabilize their rule. The following day mobs attacked the Kuwaiti and Saudi embassies in Tehran.
In 2001, Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a "major security accord to combat , drug trafficking and organized crime".
In 2008, the Saudi King Abdullah invited former Iranian President
Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to visit Saudi Arabia for the purpose of attending an Islamic conference. Rafsanji responded by saying that the opportunity was a way "Iran and Saudi Arabia can resolve differences in the Muslim world."
In 2010, the website Wikileaks
disclosed various confidential documents
pertaining to the US and its allies which revealed that Saudi Arabian King Abdullah
urged the US to attack Iran, describing Iran
as a snake whose head should be cut off without any procrastination.
from CIA-backed ARPCT. Iran has been one of several nations backing the public uprising. According to Prime Minister
Ali Mohammed Ghedi
, Iran, Egypt, and Libya are helping the militia. The Prime Minister accuses these countries of wanting more conflict in Somalia, which seems contradictory because of the Transitional Government's inability to extend authority beyond Baidoa
, which is something the Islamic Republic sees.
During the last week of April 2006, Sudanese President Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir met with a number of Iranian public figures in Tehran, including the Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei
and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In a joint news conference with al-Bashir on 24 April, Ahmadinejad explained to the public his belief that "expansion of ties between the two countries serves the interests of both nations, the region, and the Islamic world, particularly in terms of boosting peace and stability." Before the conference ended, al-Bashir congratulated Iran for its successful pursuit of "nuclear power for peaceful purposes," while Ahmadinejad restated his opposition to the participation of UN Peacekeepers in Darfur
.
ideology of Syria's ruling Baath party notwithstanding. During the Iran–Iraq War, Syria sided with Persian Iran against its enemy Iraq and was isolated by the other Arab countries, with the exception of Libya. Iran and Syria have had a strategic alliance ever since, partially due to their common animosity towards Saddam Hussein
and the Assad regime's Shiite faith.
On June 16, 2006 the defence ministers of Iran and Syria signed an agreement for military cooperation against what they called the "common threats" presented by Israel and the United States. Details of the agreement were not specified, however Syrian defense minister Najjar said "Iran
considers Syria's security its own security, and we consider our defense capabilities to be those of Syria." The visit also resulted in the sale of Iranian military hardware to Syria. In addition to receiving military hardware, Iran has consistently invested billions of dollars into the Syrian economy. The Syrian leadership, including President Assad himself, belongs predominantly to the Alawite branch of Shi'a Islam. Currently, Iran is involved in implementing several industrial projects in Syria, including cement factories, car assembly lines, power plants, and silo construction. Iran also plans to set up a joint Iranian–Syrian bank in the future.
On February 17, 2007, Presidents Ahmadinejad and Assad
met in Tehran. Ahmadinejad afterwards declared that they would form an alliance to combat US and Israeli conspiracies against the Islamic world.http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/827017.html
During the 2011 Syrian uprising
, Iran has aided the Syrian government. In May the Iranian Republican Guard increased its "level of technical support and personnel support" to strengthen Syria's "ability to deal with protesters," according to one diplomat in Damascus
.
Iran reportedly assisted the Syrian government sending it riot control equipment, intelligence monitoring techniques and oil. It also agreed to fund a large military base at Latakia
airport. In August, a former member of Syria's secret police reported "Iranian snipers" had been deployed in Syria to assist in the crackdown on protests. According to the US government, Mohsen Chizari, the Quds Force’s third-in-command, has visited Syria to train security services to fight against the protestors.
In late June Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
, stated in regards to the uprising: “In Syria, the hand of America and Israel is evident;” and in regards to the al-Assad regime: “Wherever a movement is Islamic, populist, and anti-American, we support it.”
Other Iranian officials have made similar pronouncements identifying the US government as the origin of the uprising. However, in late August, the Iranian government gave its "first public sign" of concern over Syrian's handling of its crisis when foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi
issued a statement including the Syrian government in the list of states he urged to “answer to the demands of its people.”
In September 1990, Tunisia and Iran restored diplomatic relations once again. Relations remained unchanged until June 1999, when the speaker of the Tunisian Parliament, Fuad al-Mubze, became the first Tunisian official to visit Iran since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. His visit was intended to reflect "the rapid improvement in bilateral relations since the setting up of the joint committee for cooperation on the level of the foreign ministers in the mid-1990s". By 2000, trade relations between the two nations reached USD 73 million. The following year, on April 19, 2001, Tunisian prime minister Muhammad al-Ghanoushe visited Tehran on "an official visit" to sign a new joint trade agreement with his counterpart.
Following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the UAE has been pushing for the return of the islands. The countries maintain very close economic ties and the UAE has a significant Iranian expatriate community.
Outstanding conflicts are:
However, Iran has criticized the UAE for allowing France to develop its first permanent base in the Persian Gulf region there.
On 2006-05-10, "the Yemeni ambassador to Iran Jamal al-Salal met... with the Iranian deputy foreign minister for the Arab and North Africa Affairs Mohammad Baqiri and the deputy assistant of the foreign minister for educational affairs and researches Mohammadi respectively. The meeting centered on boosting mutual cooperation between the two countries and means to reinforce them. The talks also dealt with issues of common interest at the regional and Islamic levels."
The tensions between Yemeni government and Iran have rose in the past weeks, due to the Yemeni War, in Sa'dah, and claiming that the Militias have been trained in Iran.
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
historical conflicts have always coloured neighbouring Arab countries
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
' perceptions about Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At times peacefully coexisting, while at other times in bitter conflict. North African Arabs generally enjoyed closer relations with Iran due to limited historical connection between them and Iran.
Comparison
 Arab League |
 Iran |
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 360,029,936 | 74,196,000 |
| Area | 13,298,883 km² | 1,648,195 km² (636,372 sq mi) |
| Population Density | 24.33/km² (63/sq mi) | 45/km² (116.6/sq mi) |
| Capital | Cairo Cairo Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life... |
Tehran Tehran Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to... |
| Largest City | Cairo Cairo Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life... – 6,758,581 (17,856,000 Metro) |
Tehran Tehran Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to... – 8,429,807 (13,413,348 Metro) |
| Organization and Government Type | regional organisation and Political union Political union A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller states. Unlike a personal union, the individual states share a common government and the union is recognized internationally as a single political entity... |
Islamic republic Islamic republic Islamic republic is the name given to several states in the Muslim world including the Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Mauritania. Pakistan adopted the title under the constitution of 1956. Mauritania adopted it on 28 November 1958. Iran adopted it after the 1979 Iranian... and Theocracy Theocracy Theocracy is a form of organization in which the official policy is to be governed by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or simply pursuant to the doctrine of a particular religious sect or religion.... |
| Official languages | Arabic | Persian Persian language Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence... |
| Main Religions | 91% Islam Islam Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~... (80.5% Sunni Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites.... 10.5% Shi'a Shi'a Islam Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is... ), 5.8% Christianity Christianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings... , 4% Others |
98% Islam Islam Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~... (89% Shi'a Shi'a Islam Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is... 9% Sunni Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites.... ), 2% religious minorities, including Bahá'ís Bahá'í Faith The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories.... , Mandeans Mandaeism Mandaeism or Mandaeanism is a Gnostic religion with a strongly dualistic worldview. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, Seth, Enosh, Noah, Shem, Aram and especially John the Baptist... , Yarsanis, Zoroastrians Zoroastrians in Iran Zoroastrians in Iran are the oldest religious community of the nation, with a long history continuing up to the present day.Prior to the Islamization of Iran, Zoroastrianism was the primary religion of the Iranian peoples... , Jews Persian Jews Persian Jews , are Jews historically associated with Iran, traditionally known as Persia in Western sources.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran. The Book of Esther contains some references to the experiences of Jews in Persia... , and Christians |
| GDP (nominal) | $1.526 trillion ($4,239 per capita Per capita Per capita is a Latin prepositional phrase: per and capita . The phrase thus means "by heads" or "for each head", i.e. per individual or per person... ) |
$359.970 billion ($4,777 per capita) |
Relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran
After the Islamic revolution of Iran the foreign policy of Iran changed dramatically. In many cases diplomatically inimical Arab nations became more cooperative with Iran, while some formerly supportive nations decreased their support.Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Khomeini, leader of the Islamic revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its first supreme leader
Supreme leader
A supreme leader typically refers to a figure in the highest leadership position of an entity, group, organization, or state, who exercises strong or all-powerful authority over it. In religion, the supreme leader or supreme leaders is God or Gods...
declared that, "The concept of monarchy totally contradicts Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
." Therefore Arab leaders
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
developed a hostile attitude towards the Islamic republic of Iran. Khomeini's idea of supporting the mustaz^afeen (those who are wronged or oppressed) as opposed to the mustakbareen (those who are arrogant) led to many problems with neighboring countries due to some Arab regimes being judged by Iranian jurists to be among the mustakbareen. Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
Khomeini was open about his intention to export the revolution to other parts of the Muslim world. Thus, during the early 1980s, Iran was isolated regionally and internationally. This diplomatic and economic isolation intensified during the Iran–Iraq War in which almost all neighboring Arab states, except Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, supported Iraq logistically and economically on moral grounds. According to some observers, Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
fought on behalf of other Arab states that viewed the Islamic Republic as a potential threat to their stability.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the revolutionary zeal cooled and a degree of pragmatism was adopted by Iranian policy makers. During the presidency of Akbar Hashemi and Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
Iranian foreign policy switched to reducing international tensions and Iran tried to normalize its relations with its Arab neighbors. When the U.S. attacked Iraq in the early 1990s, it indeliberately promoted Iran's political influence in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
.
Since 2000 the situation changed completely. The most significant factor was Bush administration's decision to attack Iraq in 2003 which led to the fall of Saddam, a ba'athist leader with pan-Arab sympathies who was determined to balance Shi'a Iran's regional influence. With the deposition of Saddam, Iran found a major obstacle to its expansion removed. This gave Iran a good chance to emerge as a major player in the Middle East with Islamic ideology which filled the void of Marxism, Socialism and Nationalism in the region especially among the Shia.
As Richard Haass quoted Iran will be one of the two most powerful states in the region...The influence of Iran and groups associated with it has been reinforced. Iran could find allies in Arab world comprising Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. On the other hand some Arab states including Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
united against Iran, which are supported by the U.S.. Other Arab countries, especially those in Africa, continued to have normal relations with Iran.
Another aspect of tension between Shia-dominated Iran and Sunni-dominated Arab countries has been sectarianism. During the early days of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini endeavored to bridge the gap between Shias and Sunnis by forbidding criticizing the Caliphs who preceded Ali. He also declared it permissible for Shiites to pray behind Sunni imams. However, the influence of Iran on Shiite communities outside its borders and the territorial disputes with Arab neighbors among other issues remain sources of tension in Arab-Iranian relations.
Diplomatic cables leaked in 2010 revealed Sunni Arab leaders singled out Iran as the greatest threat to regional stability, yet refuse to speak publicly, telling US diplomats in private, they'd face domestic troubles if they were seen as siding with the West against a Muslim country. The cables showed that Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain supported a military attack against Iran aimed to stop the Iranian nuclear program.
Algeria
Following the Iranian RevolutionIranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
, in 1981 Algeria's role was instrumental in the release of the US diplomatic hostages held in Iran.
In 1998 Iran became increasingly critical of Algeria's heavy handed security forces, especially during several massacres during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
and led efforts to pressure Algeria to act more humanely through the international community. Algeria in turn blamed Iran for the massacre.
After a decade, in early September 2000, diplomatic relations between Algeria and Iran were re-established in a decision made by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika is the ninth President of Algeria. He has been in office since 1999. He continued emergency rule until 24 February 2011, and presided over the end of the bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002...
on the sidelines of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
millennium summit. The resumption of relations paved the way for number of agreements "on bilateral cooperation in the areas of judicial affairs, finance, industry, and air transport". Relations continued to strengthen rapidly after that to the extent that in 2002 Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani
Ali Shamkhani
Ali Shamkhani is an Iranian admiral and politician. He was the Minister of Defense from August 19, 1997 until August 24, 2005 and was replaced by Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar.He is born in 1955 in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, he earned a B.S...
and Algerian Joint Chief of Staff Muhamed al- Imari Wednesday signed and agreement for military and technical cooperation in Iran http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1:93218235/Iran,+Algeria+sign+MoU+for+military+cooperation.html?refid=ency_topnm. In the recent 2006 UN vote on Iran's nuclear programme, Algeria abstained from voting.
Bahrain
After 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, Bahraini Shia fundamentalists in 1981 orchestrated a failed coup attempt under the auspices of a front organisation, the Islamic Front for the Liberation of BahrainIslamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain
The Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain was a Shia resistance group active from the 1970s to the 1990s, that advocated democracy in Bahrain and the overthrow of the ruling Sunni Al Khalifa family. It was responsible for the failed 1981 coup attempt inspired by the Iranian revolution two...
. The coup would have installed a Shia cleric exiled in Iran, Hojjat ol-Eslam Hādī al-Mudarrisī, as supreme leader heading a theocratic government. The Bahraini government unofficially regarded the coup as Iran attempting to overthrow their Sunni government. Iran denied all knowledge saying the fundamentalists were inspired by the Iranian revolution but had received no support from Iran. Fearful of a recurrence, the episode caused Bahrain to crack down on its Shia population putting thousands into jail and further souring relations with Shia Iran. Recently the countries are beginning to enjoy closer relations again and have engaged in many joint economic ventures. Iran has been severely critical of Bahrain hosting the US navy Fifth Fleet within the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.
Egypt
In 1939, diplomatic relations between Egypt and IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
were upgraded to ambassadorial level, and Youssef Zulficar Pasha
Youssef Zulficar Pasha
Youssef Zulficar Pasha was an Egyptian judge. He was the father of Queen Farida of Egypt and thus father-in-law of King Farouk I....
was appointed as Egypt's first ambassador in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. In the same year, Princess Fawzia of Egypt, the sister of King Farouk I
Farouk of Egypt
Farouk I of Egypt , was the tenth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I, in 1936....
, married Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
, the then crown prince (later shah) of Iran. However, relations between the two countries collapsed with the sudden eruption of the Islamic revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
in Iran in 1978–79. When the Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
fell, Egypt was bound to disapprove of his replacement, Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...
, who returned the sentiment in full measure. Furthermore, in 1979, Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
infuriated the new Iranian government by welcoming Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
, the exiled Shah of Iran
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ...
, for a short, but indefinite, stay. In 1979, Iran officially cut all ties with Egypt. This move was a response to the 1978 Camp David Accords
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following thirteen days of secret negotiations at Camp David. The two framework agreements were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by United States...
, as well as Egypt's support for Iraq in the Iraq–Iran War. In 1981, Iran symbolically dedicated a street to Khaled Islambouli, Sadat's assassin.
While trade relations slowly improved during the 1990s, Khaled al-Islambouli was honored for a second time in 2001 "with a huge new mural" in Tehran. Two years later, in late 2003, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
met with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
in Geneva. Khatami openly invited Mubarak to Iran, but Mubarak refused to make such a trip or normalize relations until all "public tributes" to Islambouli were "erased". In early 2004, Iran agreed to change the offending street name to Muhammad al-Durrah
Muhammad al-Durrah
The Muhammad al-Durrah incident took place in the Gaza Strip on September 30, 2000, on the second day of the Second Intifada, amid widespread rioting throughout the Palestinian territories...
, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy.
In 2010, leaked diplomatic cables revealed that Mubarak expressed animosity toward Iran in private meetings, saying the Iranian leaders are "big, fat liars", and that Iran's backing of terrorism is "well-known". According to one American report, Mubarak views Iran as the primary long-term challenge facing Egypt, and an Egyptian official said that Iran is running agents inside Egypt in an effort to subvert the Egyptian regime.
Iraq
On 17 September 1980, after the Islamic Revolution in Iran settled down, Iraq under Saddam Hussain declared the previous settlement of border disputes with IranAlgiers Agreement (1975)
The 1975 Algiers Agreement was an agreement between Iran and Iraq to settle their border disputes , and served as basis for the bilateral treaties signed on 13 June and 26 December 1975...
null and void. Several days later on September 22 Iraq invaded Iran in the Iran–Iraq War. Lasting till 1988 the brutal war killed over one million people and critically soured Arab–Iranian relations. The Iranian government officially viewed the conflict not as Arab vs. Iranian but from a religious perspective of Shia versus Sunni, although many in Iran did view the conflict as an Arab versus Iran issue. In Iraq the conflict was continually presented in a historical context as Arab versus Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
. The impact of the war was devastating to relations in the region; general Arab support for Iraq and a fear of Shia Muslims led to many disputes between Iran and the other Persian Gulf states
Arab states of the Persian Gulf
"Arab states of the Persian Gulf" or "Arab Persian Gulf states" or "Persian Gulf Arab states" or "Arabic Persian Gulf states" or "Arab States of The Gulf", are terms that refer to the six Arab states of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, bordering the Persian Gulf....
. The war was a primary cause for the rise of anti-Arabism
Anti-Arabism
Anti-Arabism or Arabophobia is consistent advocacy of discrimination, extermination, prejudice, hostility, hatred, or genocide toward Arabs.-Arab definition:...
within Iran, which had until then been largely insignificant. The war ended with a UN sponsored cease-fire.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein and the second Iraq war, Iran has been a close ally to Iraq's new government and has established full diplomatic relations with Iraq. There has been an exponential increase in trade and tourism between the two countries. Iran was the first country in the middle east to establish full diplomatic relations with the new Iraq government. President Ahmadinejad has visited Baghdad, and on numerous occasions the Iraqi leadership has visited Tehran.
Jordan
In 1980, Iran cut all ties with Jordan after the outbreak of Iran–Iraq War. Relations between the two nations resumed in 1991.In September 2000, King Abdullah
Abdullah II of Jordan
Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein is the reigning King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. King Abdullah, whose mother is Princess Muna al-Hussein, is a member of the Hashemite family...
met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
Mohammad Khatami
Sayyid Mohammad Khātamī is an Iranian scholar, philosopher, Shiite theologian and Reformist politician. He served as the fifth President of Iran from August 2, 1997 to August 3, 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture in both the 1980s and 1990s...
on the sidelines of the Millennium Summit in New York. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/03052002003.htm Shortly thereafter, trade between Jordan and Iran increased dramatically. According to figures from Jordan's Central Bank, "trade between Jordan and Iran reached $20 million in 2001, up some 46 percent on the previous year's $13.7 million."
On September 2 and 3, 2003, King Abdullah II visited Tehran, making him the first Jordanian king to visit "Tehran since the launching of the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979".
Kuwait
After the Shia Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, Kuwaiti Prime Minister then Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-SabahSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the Emir of Kuwait. Sheikh Sabah was sworn in on January 29, 2006 after confirmation by the National Assembly of Kuwait. He is the fourth son of Emir Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Sheikh Sabah is the head of the ruling Al-Sabah family...
(now the Amir of Kuwait) visited Iran and congratulated the Islamic Revolution, yet the Sunni led government of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
became fearful of its large Shia population and of possible Iranian hegemony in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
and began to regard Iran with increasing suspicion. When the Iran–Iraq War broke out with Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, Kuwait deeply supported the Iraqi move. It was an action that was bitterly resented by Iran. Throughout the war Kuwait provided Iraq with billions of dollars in military and social aid as well as logistical support by allowing Iraqi use of its ports. Iran consequently led a failed attempt to attack a Kuwaiti refinery complex in 1981 (intercepted and blocked by Iraqi air force), which inspired subsequent acts of sabotage in 1983 and 1986. In 1985 a member of the underground pro-Iranian Iraqi radical group al-Da'wah attempted to assassinate the Kuwaiti ruler, Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmad Al Sabah.
In September 1986, while the Iran–Iraq War was still raging on, Iran began to concentrate its attacks on Persian Gulf shipping, largely on Kuwaiti tankers in an effort to dissuade Arab support for Iraq. This led Kuwait to invite both the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(with which it had established diplomatic relations in 1963) and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to provide protection for its tankers in early 1987.
In 1990, following the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
Iraqi–Kuwaiti relations suffered bitterly and consequently Kuwaiti–Iranian relations began to improve. Bilateral relations were gradually strengthened, with exchanges of Iranian and Kuwaiti political and economic delegations leading to the signing of several economic and trade agreements.
In February 2006, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vistied Kuwait opening a new chapter in relations between the two countries. The well reported visit was the first to Kuwait by a high-ranking Iranian official in 27 years.
Lebanon
Iran recognizes Lebanon as an independent state. Iran has close ties with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah to whom it reportedly provides as much as $100 million in supplies and weaponry per year. The official Lebanese government has several agreements with the Iranian government, however several Lebanese governments are vocal in their criticism of Iran for its Nuclear weapons programs.The foreign ministers of Iraq, Lebanon and Syria supported Iran's nuclear work, calling for Israel to be stripped off its nuclear arsenal. Israel is believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal. Iran refuses to recognize Israel.
Following American threats to cut off funding for the Lebanese Army should it not be verified that Hezbollah would be kept from getting access to it, Lebanon's Defense Minister Elias Murr
Elias Murr
Elias Murr is the former Lebanese Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. He held the positions of Deputy Prime minister and Interior Minister in previous Cabinets....
set up a fund to ask for donations to the armed forced. A few weeks later Suleiman asked Iran to consider selling advanced military equipment to the Lebanese Army Hezbollah support the President's call. The next day, Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi
Ahmad Vahidi
Ahmad Vahidi is an Iranian politician and former commander of the Revolutionary Guards. He is the current Minister of Defense of Iran, having held the post since August 9, 2009.-Early life:...
expressed readiness to offer military aid to Lebanon.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Foreign policy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
|The foreign policy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the policy initiatives towards other states by the current President of Iran, as different from past, or future, Iranian foreign policy. Ahmadinejad's tenure as President came at a time of greater conflict, rhetorical or physical, than his predecessors...
planned to visit Lebanon in October 2010, amidst controversy and pressure from the United States, Israel, and a section of the March 14 alliance
March 14 Alliance
The March 14 alliance , named after the date of the Cedar Revolution, is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon that call for sovereignty over all Lebanese territories, led by MP Saad Hariri, younger son of Rafik Hariri, the assassinated former prime minister of Lebanon, as...
such as Samir Geagea
Samir Geagea
Samir Farid Geagea , born October 25, 1952, is a Lebanese politician. He is also a senior figure in the March 14 Alliance, alongside Saad Hariri and Amine Gemayel....
to cancel the trip. However, his Lebanese counterpart, Michel Suleiman
Michel Suleiman
Michel Suleiman or Sleiman is the President of Lebanon. Before assuming office as President, he held the position of commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces. After LAF commander Émile Lahoud took office as president in November of 1998, Suleiman succeeded him, taking his place in December...
, who had invited him, and other opposition figures hailed the visit. The March 8 alliance
March 8 Alliance
The March 8 Alliance is a coalition of various political parties in Lebanon. It has been the ruling coalition since January 25, 2011 when the alliance managed to nominate Najib Mikati as the new prime minister.-History:...
's parliamentary leader Michel Aoun
Michel Aoun
Michel Naim Aoun is a former Lebanese Army Commander and he is one of the allies of Hezbollah. From 22 September 1988 to 13 October 1990, he has served as Prime Minister of the legal one of two rival governments that contended for power. He declared "The Liberation War" against the Syrian...
, Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem
Naim Qassem
Sheikh Naim Qassem is the second in command of Hezbollah, with the title of deputy secretary-general.On Aug. 1, 2011 Qassem attended a ceremony for the eighth edition of his book Hezbollah, where he made the statement that "Billions of dollars have been offered to us to rebuild the deprivedsouth...
and former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss supported his visit.
Libya
Libya broke rankForeign relations of Libya
The foreign relations of Libya under Gaddafi underwent much fluctuation and change. They were marked by severe tension with the West and by Gaddafi's activist policies in the Middle East and Africa, including his financial and military support for...
with most of the Arab countries when it came out in support of Iran during the Iran–Iraq War.
Mauritania
In June 1987, President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TayaMaaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya , was Prime Minister of Mauritania from 1981 to 1984 and president from 1984 to 2005. He guided Mauritania from military rule to democracy, and took a pro-Western stance in foreign affairs...
severed all diplomatic relations with Iran in protest of the nation's supposed refusal to negotiate an end to the Iran–Iraq War.
Morocco
In 1981, Iran cut off all diplomatic ties with RabatRabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
in response to King Hassan II's decision to give asylum to the exiled Shah. A decade later, diplomatic relations between the two nations were renewed, but another decade would have to pass before Abderrahmane Youssoufi
Abderrahmane Youssoufi
Abderrahmane Youssoufi is a Moroccan politician who served as the Prime Minister of Morocco from 1998 to 2002.-Early life:...
, the prime minister of Morocco, would lead the first Moroccan delegation to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
has cut diplomatic links with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
on March 6, 2009.
Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
's Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Friday that Morocco has cut its diplomatic ties with Iran following Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
's remarks over Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
.
Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
also accused Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
spreading its Shi’ite brand of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in Sunni Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
Western Sahara Conflict
The posture of Iran about the Western SaharaWestern Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
dispute had been heavily influenced by its diplomatic relations with the neighbouring countries, Morocco and Algeria. Since late January 1979, the deposed Shah of Persia, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...
, had been granted asylum in Morocco by Hassan II, who refused to repatriate him back to Iran to be judged, causing finally the break of relations between Iran and Morocco in 1981. Previously, on February 27, 1980, Iran gave formal diplomatic recognition to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a partially recognised state that claims sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony. SADR was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. The SADR government controls about...
as the legitimate government of the territory of Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
. The support to the Polisario Front
Polisario Front
The POLISARIO, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Popular de Liberación de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro is a Sahrawi rebel national liberation movement working for the independence of Western Sahara from Morocco...
continued during the eighties, allowing the Sahrawi
Sahrawi
Most frequently in English language usage, the term Sahrawi is usually used in reference to populations from the disputed Western Sahara territory, sometimes with a nationalist connotation....
national liberation movement
National Liberation Movement
A national liberation movement is an organization engaged in a war of national liberation.National Liberation Movement may also refer to:* Movement of National Liberation, a leftist party founded by former Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas...
to open a diplomatic representation in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. In 1993, Iran broke relations with Algeria, because of charges by Algerian government about Iran supporting the Islamic Salvation Front
Islamic Salvation Front
The Islamic Salvation Front is an outlawed Islamist political party in Algeria.-Goals:...
. In parallel, the POLISARIO bureau in Iran was closed by the authorities. After renewing diplomatic ties with Algeria in 2000, Iran had tried to maintain a neutral stance in the conflict. Iran still recognises the right of self-determination of the Sahrawi people but not the SADR
Sadr
Sadr may refer to:*Gamma Cygni, a star.*Sadr City, a neighbourhood in northeastern Baghdad.*Sadr, a family name originating in Lebanon.*Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic , the government-in-exile of the Polisario Front....
.
Oman
During the Iran–Iraq War OmanOman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
remained neutral, preferring to take no sides. This allowed it to be in the position to attempt to bring Iran and Iraq into a negotiated settlement after the war in 1994.
Since then peaceful ties have continued and expanded.
Palestinian Authority
The Islamic Republic regime of Iran (established after the 1979 Iranian Revolution) closed the Israeli embassy in Tehran and replaced it with a Palestinian embassy. Iran favors Palestinian national ambitions and officially endorses the replacement of Israel with a unitary Palestinian state.Iranian government also gives substantial assistance to the Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
government in Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
, which is embargoed by Israel and depends on outside sources for an estimated 90% of its budget. Iranian support has not been unconditional however, and in July and August 2011 Iran cut funding to show its displeasure at "Hamas's failure to hold public rallies in support" of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n President Bashir al-Assad who had killed several hundred Syrians during the 2011 Syrian uprising
2011 Syrian uprising
The 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
. In part for this reason, Hamas was unable to pay July salaries of its "40,000 civil service and security employees."
Iran does not recognize the state of Israel and instead regards it as 'Palestine under occupation'. During the era of the Iranian Monarchy (1948–1979) under the Pahlavi Dynasty, Iran enjoyed cordial relations with Israel. Israel regarded Iran, a non-Arab power on the periphery of the Arab world, as a natural ally and counterweight to Arab ambitions as part of David Ben-Gurion's alliance of the periphery. Even after the Iranian Revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini's public condemnations of the "Zionist entity". Iran suggests that all Israeli 'occupied territory' is either given back to their respective countries (ex. Golan Heights back to Syria) or is replaced with a Palestinian state. Iran also feels that Jerusalem should returned to the Palestinians.
Qatar
Throughout the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), Qatar supported Saddam Hussein's Iraq financially by providing large loans and cash gifts. Iran's claim in May 1989 that one-third of Qatar's North Field gas reservoir lay under Iranian waters apparently was resolved by an agreement to exploit the field jointly.In 1991, following the end of the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, Shaykh Hamad ibn Khalifa welcomed Iranian participation in Persian Gulf security arrangements, however due to resistance from other Persian Gulf Arab States these never came into fruition. Additionally, plans were being formulated in 1992 to pipe water from the Karun River in Iran to Qatar, but after local resistance in Iran this was laid to rest.
The Iranian community in Qatar, although large, is well integrated and has not posed a threat to the regime. Today relations between the two countries are cordial.
Saudi Arabia
Following the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War, Iranian pilgrims held a political demonstration against Saudi support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War during the HajjHajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
in Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. In 1987 they succeeded, however Saudi police crushed the demonstration violently causing the Iranian pilgrims to riot.
Immediately following the riot, Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...
called for Muslims to avenge the pilgrims' deaths by overthrowing the Saudi royal family. The Saudi government blamed the riot on the Iranian pilgrims and claimed that the pilgrim riot had been part of a plot to destabilize their rule. The following day mobs attacked the Kuwaiti and Saudi embassies in Tehran.
In 2001, Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a "major security accord to combat , drug trafficking and organized crime".
In 2008, the Saudi King Abdullah invited former Iranian President
President of Iran
The President of Iran is the highest popularly elected official in, and the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Iran; although subordinate to the Supreme Leader of Iran, who functions as the country's head of state...
Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to visit Saudi Arabia for the purpose of attending an Islamic conference. Rafsanji responded by saying that the opportunity was a way "Iran and Saudi Arabia can resolve differences in the Muslim world."
In 2010, the website Wikileaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
disclosed various confidential documents
United States diplomatic cables leak
The United States diplomatic cables leak, widely known as Cablegate, began in February 2010 when WikiLeaks—a non-profit organization that publishes submissions from anonymous whistleblowers—began releasing classified cables that had been sent to the U.S. State Department by 274 of its consulates,...
pertaining to the US and its allies which revealed that Saudi Arabian King Abdullah
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005...
urged the US to attack Iran, describing Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
as a snake whose head should be cut off without any procrastination.
Somalia
In 2006, the Islamic Courts Union took over MogadishuMogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
from CIA-backed ARPCT. Iran has been one of several nations backing the public uprising. According to Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Somalia
This page contains a list of the Prime Ministers of Somalia.-Prime Ministers of Somalia :-Affiliations:*SYL - Somali Youth League*SNL - Somali National League...
Ali Mohammed Ghedi
Ali Mohammed Ghedi
Ali Mohamed Ghedi was the Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia from 2004 to 2007. He was relatively unknown in political circles upon his appointment as prime minister in November 2004. He is affiliated with the Abgaal subclan of Mogadishu's Hawiye clan, one of...
, Iran, Egypt, and Libya are helping the militia. The Prime Minister accuses these countries of wanting more conflict in Somalia, which seems contradictory because of the Transitional Government's inability to extend authority beyond Baidoa
Baidoa
Baidoa is a city in south-central Somalia, situated by road northwest of the capital Mogadishu. It is the capital of the Bay region, which is traditionally inhabited by the Digil and Mirifle clans....
, which is something the Islamic Republic sees.
Sudan
In 1991, "there was evidence of increasing economic and military links between Sudan and Iran... Some 2,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards were allegedly dispatched to Sudan to assist with the training of the Sudanese army, and in December President Rafsanjani of Iran made an official visit to Sudan, during which a trade agreement between the two countries was concluded. In November 1993 Iran was reported to have financed Sudan's purchase of some 20 Chinese ground-attack aircraft. In April 1996 the Government was reported to be granting the Iranian navy the use of marine facilities in exchange for financial assistance for the purchase of arms although, in response to a Sudanese request for military aid in 1997, Iran provided assistance only with military maintenance."During the last week of April 2006, Sudanese President Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir met with a number of Iranian public figures in Tehran, including the Supreme Leader
Supreme leader
A supreme leader typically refers to a figure in the highest leadership position of an entity, group, organization, or state, who exercises strong or all-powerful authority over it. In religion, the supreme leader or supreme leaders is God or Gods...
Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In a joint news conference with al-Bashir on 24 April, Ahmadinejad explained to the public his belief that "expansion of ties between the two countries serves the interests of both nations, the region, and the Islamic world, particularly in terms of boosting peace and stability." Before the conference ended, al-Bashir congratulated Iran for its successful pursuit of "nuclear power for peaceful purposes," while Ahmadinejad restated his opposition to the participation of UN Peacekeepers in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
.
Syria
Syria is often called Iran's "closest ally", the Arab nationalismArab nationalism
Arab nationalism is a nationalist ideology celebrating the glories of Arab civilization, the language and literature of the Arabs, calling for rejuvenation and political union in the Arab world...
ideology of Syria's ruling Baath party notwithstanding. During the Iran–Iraq War, Syria sided with Persian Iran against its enemy Iraq and was isolated by the other Arab countries, with the exception of Libya. Iran and Syria have had a strategic alliance ever since, partially due to their common animosity towards Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
and the Assad regime's Shiite faith.
On June 16, 2006 the defence ministers of Iran and Syria signed an agreement for military cooperation against what they called the "common threats" presented by Israel and the United States. Details of the agreement were not specified, however Syrian defense minister Najjar said "Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
considers Syria's security its own security, and we consider our defense capabilities to be those of Syria." The visit also resulted in the sale of Iranian military hardware to Syria. In addition to receiving military hardware, Iran has consistently invested billions of dollars into the Syrian economy. The Syrian leadership, including President Assad himself, belongs predominantly to the Alawite branch of Shi'a Islam. Currently, Iran is involved in implementing several industrial projects in Syria, including cement factories, car assembly lines, power plants, and silo construction. Iran also plans to set up a joint Iranian–Syrian bank in the future.
On February 17, 2007, Presidents Ahmadinejad and Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
met in Tehran. Ahmadinejad afterwards declared that they would form an alliance to combat US and Israeli conspiracies against the Islamic world.http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/827017.html
During the 2011 Syrian uprising
2011 Syrian uprising
The 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
, Iran has aided the Syrian government. In May the Iranian Republican Guard increased its "level of technical support and personnel support" to strengthen Syria's "ability to deal with protesters," according to one diplomat in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
.
Iran reportedly assisted the Syrian government sending it riot control equipment, intelligence monitoring techniques and oil. It also agreed to fund a large military base at Latakia
Latakia
Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
airport. In August, a former member of Syria's secret police reported "Iranian snipers" had been deployed in Syria to assist in the crackdown on protests. According to the US government, Mohsen Chizari, the Quds Force’s third-in-command, has visited Syria to train security services to fight against the protestors.
In late June Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
, stated in regards to the uprising: “In Syria, the hand of America and Israel is evident;” and in regards to the al-Assad regime: “Wherever a movement is Islamic, populist, and anti-American, we support it.”
Other Iranian officials have made similar pronouncements identifying the US government as the origin of the uprising. However, in late August, the Iranian government gave its "first public sign" of concern over Syrian's handling of its crisis when foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi
Ali Akbar Salehi
Ali Akbar Salehi is an Iranian politician, diplomat and academic and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs since 13 December 2010. Previous to his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he was Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran from 16 July 2009 to 13 December 2010...
issued a statement including the Syrian government in the list of states he urged to “answer to the demands of its people.”
Tunisia
Following labour unrest led by the General Union of Tunisian Workers throughout the 1970s and early 80s, in 1987 President Bourguiba instigated a massive purge of Tunisian politics under the pretext of a "terrorist conspiracy" sponsored by Iran. Iran protested and diplomatic relations were promptly broken. On 27 September 1987, a state security court found 76 defendants guilty of plotting against the government and planting bombs; seven (five in absentia) were sentenced to death http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Tunisia-HISTORY.html.In September 1990, Tunisia and Iran restored diplomatic relations once again. Relations remained unchanged until June 1999, when the speaker of the Tunisian Parliament, Fuad al-Mubze, became the first Tunisian official to visit Iran since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. His visit was intended to reflect "the rapid improvement in bilateral relations since the setting up of the joint committee for cooperation on the level of the foreign ministers in the mid-1990s". By 2000, trade relations between the two nations reached USD 73 million. The following year, on April 19, 2001, Tunisian prime minister Muhammad al-Ghanoushe visited Tehran on "an official visit" to sign a new joint trade agreement with his counterpart.
United Arab Emirates
Iranian investors have a wide presence in the UAE accounting for 10 percent of the Arab country’s population. Based on recent statistics nearly 400,000 Iranians live in the UAE running 10,000 small business firms. Trade between Dubai and Iran tripled to $12 billion from 2005 to 2009.Following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the UAE has been pushing for the return of the islands. The countries maintain very close economic ties and the UAE has a significant Iranian expatriate community.
Outstanding conflicts are:
- UAE claims two islands in the Persian GulfPersian GulfThe Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
currently held by IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb al Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Tonb-e Kuchak in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); - UAE claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (called Abu MusaAbu MusaAbu Musa is a 12-km² island in the eastern Persian Gulf, part of a six-island archipelago near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The island is administered by Iran as part of the Iranian province of Hormozgan, but is also claimed by the United Arab Emirates .Abu Musa's inhabitants call it...
in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu MusaAbu MusaAbu Musa is a 12-km² island in the eastern Persian Gulf, part of a six-island archipelago near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The island is administered by Iran as part of the Iranian province of Hormozgan, but is also claimed by the United Arab Emirates .Abu Musa's inhabitants call it...
in Persian by Iran) – over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island;
However, Iran has criticized the UAE for allowing France to develop its first permanent base in the Persian Gulf region there.
Yemen
Following the first two decades of the Islamic Revolution, ties between Tehran and Sana'a were never strong, but in recent years the two countries have attempted to settle their differences. One sign of this came on 2003-12-02, when the Yemeni foreign ministry announced that "Yemen welcomes Iran's request to participate in the Arab League as an observer member."On 2006-05-10, "the Yemeni ambassador to Iran Jamal al-Salal met... with the Iranian deputy foreign minister for the Arab and North Africa Affairs Mohammad Baqiri and the deputy assistant of the foreign minister for educational affairs and researches Mohammadi respectively. The meeting centered on boosting mutual cooperation between the two countries and means to reinforce them. The talks also dealt with issues of common interest at the regional and Islamic levels."
The tensions between Yemeni government and Iran have rose in the past weeks, due to the Yemeni War, in Sa'dah, and claiming that the Militias have been trained in Iran.
See also
- Iran–Iraq relations
- Iran–Pakistan relations
- Foreign relations of the Arab LeagueForeign relations of the Arab LeagueThe Arab League was founded in 1945 and has 22 members and four observer members: Brazil, Eritrea, India and Venezuela. Turkey and Iran have both expressed their desire to join as observers, but their requests were delayed due to political problems with other Arab states, especially Iraq, Egypt and...
- Foreign relations of IranForeign relations of IranForeign relations of Iran refers to inter-governmental relationships between Iran and other countries. Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the newly-born Islamic Republic, under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, dramatically reversed the pro-Western foreign policy of the last Shah of Iran,...
- Territorial disputes in the Persian GulfTerritorial disputes in the Persian GulfThis article deals with territorial disputes between states of in and around the Persian Gulf in Southwestern Asia. These states include Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates , and Oman.-Background:...
- Persian Gulf naming disputePersian Gulf naming disputeThe name of the body of water separating the Arabian Peninsula from the Iranian plateau, historically and internationally known as the Persian Gulf after the land of Persia , has been disputed by some Arab countries since the 1960s...
- Anti-Persianism
Sources
- Kuwait Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service. 18 Apr. 2006. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-93658.
- Oman: A Unique Foreign Policy Produces a Key Player in Middle Eastern and Global Diplomacy RAND Organisation. http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB2501/index1.html
- Henner Furtig and Anoushiravan Ehteshami. Iran's Rivalry With Saudi Arabia Between the Gulf Wars. 2006, Ithaca. ISBN 978-0-86372-311-7