Abstract: Since 1979 Iran’s foreign policy has swung from pan-Islamism to nationalism, from ideology to pragmatism, from détente to postdétente. This article aims at explaining how domestic factionalism has affected Iran’s foreign policy over the past 40 years and, vice-versa, how it has been shaped by external stimuli. Factionalism can be considered as an intervenient variable which, alongside the external environment, may have an impact on Iran’s foreign policy making. But it can also be considered as a dependent variable which may be affected by external constraints. I argue that when factionalism emerges, Iran’s foreign policy generally tends to be characterized by ideology. However, this may also be a function of increasing external pressures. At the same time, factionalism is generally toned down when either domestic imperatives or external forces push Iran to adopt a more pragmatic stance in foreign affairs. The background argument is that despite an influential role of religion in the country’s politics and policies, Iran has remained committed to defensive and realist imperatives for most of the last 40 years. The main questions here addressed are: how does factional politics in Iran reflect upon a certain foreign policy making? How does factionalism is in turn affected by external challenges/ threats and how does it translate either into an ideological or a realist and pragmatic foreign policy?
Iran, Turkey and Middle Eastern Issues
Monday, October 18, 2021
Journal article: Domestic Factions and the External Environment in Iran's Foreign Policy
Friday, January 29, 2021
Book Chapter: Transition and Middle Power: Turkey’s Strategic Autonomy on the Atlantic Area Border with the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa
When I enrolled as a university student in 2003, Prof. Fulvio Attinà was already among the Old Masters in our discipline. Today, with great honor and excitement, I've just joined a bunch of talented academicians who, under his leadership, have focused on the current world order transition and impact on Europe and the Trans-Atlantic relations in facing China growth to world power.
My personal contribution to this brand-new book deals with "Transition and Middle Power: Turkey's Strategic Autonomy on the Atlantic Area Border with the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa.Click here to find out more about the book: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-63038-6?fbclid=IwAR1KG-hDGw-NLcoLgeIxXRAnfz8xIJQkWnSwHDGZ9uv__7EA_JG8dbce5ZE#toc.
And my chapter: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-63038-6_8?fbclid=IwAR0tVkqNfkoGmqLMb95wXrlOPsFAgc8jU51qzo5atSU1K7uuhusqREZMfC4.
Enjoy!
Friday, December 18, 2020
Intervista: Ankara non ha mai smesso di stare dentro al campo occidentale di alleanze. Resta però uno Stato in bilico.
Alcune mie riflessioni su Erdoğan e politica estera turca raccolte in questa intervista a cura di Marco Fontana ed Eliana Puccio pubblicata il 17/12/2019 per la Rivista On-Line di Geopolitica internazionale e di politica nazionale Strumenti Politici:
Clicca qui per leggerne il testo integrale.
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Intervista: Somalia: le mani turche sul Paese dal 2011. Parla Federico Donelli, ricercatore dell’Università di Genova e di Bologna
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Eventi vari: conferenze dicembre 2019 - febbraio 2020
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Book Chapter: Emerging Middle Powers in the Middle East: Iran, Turkey and their Struggle for Regional Hegemony
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Journal Article: Turkish AK Parti's Posture Towards the 2003 War in Iraq: the Impact of Religion amid Security Concerns
"The Rest. Journal of Politics and Development" is the scientific review of the CESRAN International UK.
UK-based CESRAN (Centre for Strategic and Research Analysis) has been recently named amongst the top think tanks in the world.
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My latest journal article "Domestic Factions and the External Environment in Iran's Foreign Policy" has been published in the ...
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La decisione di bombardare la Striscia di Gaza, presa a metà della scorsa settimana dal governo israeliano, non può essere letta s...
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(commento già apparso sul sito dell'OPI - Osservatorio di politica internazionale e disponibile al seguente link: http://www.bloglobal....
Journal article: Domestic Factions and the External Environment in Iran's Foreign Policy
My latest journal article "Domestic Factions and the External Environment in Iran's Foreign Policy" has been published in the ...