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 Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs, Volume 10, No.2, Issue 30, pages 231-254. It is available by clicking here. The whole Issue is available here.

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?

Journal Article: Turkish AK Parti's Posture Towards the 2003 War in Iraq: the Impact of Religion amid Security Concerns

My latest Journal Article "Turkish AK Parti's Posture Towards the 2003 War in Iraq: the Impact of Religion amid Security Concerns" is now available at: https://therestjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/The-Rest-Vol.10-No.1-A1.pdf. It is part of Issue 1, Volume 10 of "The Rest. Journal of Politics and Development".
"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.

ABSTRACT: This paper focuses on Turkey’s foreign policy makers’ attitudes in the context of the 2003 US decision to wage war against Iraq. The main goal is to assess and downplay the impact of religion in relation to security-related concerns. Drawing on official speeches, interviews, declarations by key figures in the foreign policy process, the paper argues that religion is nothing more than an intervening factor in the case of Turkey’s approach to the 2003 war in Iraq. Therefore, notwithstanding the role of Islamist elites in the foreign policy decision-making of Turkey, Turkey’s foreign affairs were rather inspired by a realist behavior, driven by pragmatic considerations, aimed at pursuing rationalist goals.

Journal Article: "Turkey's Approach to Iran's Shia Crescent"

My latest Journal article "Turkey's approach to Iran's Shia Crescent" is now available at: https://rasanah-iiis.org/english/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/02/TURKEY%E2%80%99S-APPROACH-TO-IRAN%E2%80%99S-SHIA-CRESCENT.pdf. It is part of a special issue (8, 2018) by the "Journal For Iranian Studies" dedicated to investigate "Iran's role in the Middle East: The Prospect of a Shia Crescent Emerging". 

The "Journal For Iranian Studies" is the scientific publication of "Rasanah. International Institute for Iranian Studies", a worldwide renowned Saudi think tank. 

ABSTRACT: The Middle East has experienced several critical junctures since King Abdullah of Jordan first warned his Arab counterparts in 2004 about Iran’s design to project abroad its political, religious and military influence. Due to bitter domestic factionalism between President Ahmadinejad and the Rahbar Khamenei, the emergence of a “Shia crescent” was relatively kept under control by rival Arab countries as long as Iran was isolated from international politics. However, the outburst of the Arab Spring in 2011, the ensuing human tragedy in Syria and the sealing of a historical deal on the nuclear issue between Iran and Western powers all signalled that such a prospect would become a major existential threat for them.

Journal Article: La nuova Turchia di Erdogan

E' in uscita presso le librerie e sui siti di e-commerce la mia ultima pubblicazione scientifica. 

Il saggio è intitolato "La nuova Turchia di Erdogan", presente sulla Rivista "Afriche e Orienti", numero 1-2/2018, pagg. 149-170. 

Introduzione: In Occidente, all’indomani del fallito colpo di Stato orchestrato da alcuni settori delle forze armate nella notte fra il 15 e il 16 luglio 2016, sono molti gli osservatori che si sono domandati quale assetto politico si sarebbe istituzionalizzato in Turchia nell’immediato futuro. Al centro delle questioni vi era la portata delle misure repressive adottate per volontà del presidente della Repubblica, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, e del Governo a guida AK Parti – la formazione politica di cui Erdogan stesso è uno dei fondatori. L‘epurazione avviata a livello istituzionale (forze armate, magistratura, sistema educativo e dell’informazione) sarebbe servita davvero a rafforzare la solidità democratica del sistema o, al contrario, avrebbe costituito la precondizione, impraticabile prima del tentato colpo di Stato, per affondarne anche la dimensione politica? Le incertezze che hanno avvolto la politica interna si sono estese anche alla sfera degli affari internazionali, con particolare riguardo alla crisi siriana, alla lotta contro il terrorismo curdo e, più in generale, alla questione curda; e, ancora, al riavvicinamento a Paesi quali Israele e la Russia, con cui negli anni addietro si era verificata una crisi nei rispettivi rapporti bilaterali, all’inasprimento delle relazioni con lo storico partner americano, alla disputa con l’Unione Europea sulla questione dei migranti. In questo articolo, questi temi verranno inquadrati uno ad uno, focalizzando l’attenzione prima sul contesto politico interno e poi su quello delle alleanze internazionali per tentare di formulare uno scenario plausibile che ci si può attendere dal teatro turco nel futuro prossimo.

In questo articolo, questi temi verranno inquadrati uno ad uno, focalizzando l’attenzione prima sul contesto politico interno e poi su quello delle alleanze internazionali per tentare di formulare uno scenario plausibile che ci si può attendere dal teatro turco nel futuro prossimo. 

Journal Article: Turchia e Iran: partner economici e rivali geopolitici

My latest publication, Turkey and Iran: economic partners and geopolitical rivals, is online: http://gnosis.aisi.gov.it/Gnosis/Rivista57.nsf/servnavig/14 and will soon be available on paper.

Gnosis. Rivista Italiana di Intelligence, 4/2018

Abstract (ENG): This essay analyses the complex relation between two main powers in the Middle East, attempting to overcome some of the clichés that characterise the public discourse on this topic. When analysing this relationship between Iran and Turkey, two crucial aspects come to the forefront. On one hand, there is existing cooperation based on common energy and economic interests, but on the other hand there is rivalry due to geopolitical reasons. The quest for regional hegemony has generated a bitter competition in Syria that appears to have been mitigated temporarily only by some strategic contingencies (above all, convergence with Russia).

Abstract (ITA): Oggetto di analisi è il complesso rapporto fra due delle principali potenze del Medio Oriente, volendo anche superare alcuni cliché che accompagnano il dibattito pubblico. Nell’analisi di due dimensioni cruciali della relazione che lega Iran e Turchia, viene sottolineato come tra gli spazi per la cooperazione – creati intorno a comuni interessi energetici ed economici – si siano frapposte condizioni di rivalità legate alla sfera (geo)politica. L’aspirazione all’egemonia regionale ha generato un’aspra competizione nel teatro siriano, cui solo alcune contingenze ‘tattiche’ (su tutte, la convergenza con la Russia) sembrano avere temporaneamente posto un freno.

Journal Article: "Iranian-Turkish Relations in a Changing Middle East"

My latest Journal article "Iranian-Turkish Relations in a Changing Middle East" is now available at: https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/ipcj.2018.21.issue-1/1641-4233.21.06/1641-4233.21.06.xml. It is part of a Special Issue of academic journal International Studies. Interdisciplinary Political and Cultural Journal dedicated to "The Political and Social Problems of the Contemporary Middle East and its Neighbouring Areas", Volume 21, Issue 1, edited by Radoslaw Bania, Associate Professor of Political Science and Dean of Faculty of International relations at the University of Lodz (Poland).

This is the first of a series of works that I dedicated to the study of Iran-Turkey relations in the context of reorganization of power and order in the Middle East. I previously had the chance to discuss it within the panel "Prospects for new Power Configurations in the Middle East and Asia" chaired by Prof. Bania during the Political Science World Congress organized by IPSA (International Political Science Association), held in Poznan, July 23-28, 2016.

ABSTRACT: After the outbreak of the Arab Spring and, above all, the intensification of the Syrian crisis with Ankara starting to engage in a political confrontation with Assad’s Syria, Tehran tried to exploit its historic strategic alliance with Damascus in a search for projecting its influence abroad. As Turkey has been facing more and more hardships and experiencing political isolation, Iran seemed to be more comfortable with its external environment, benefiting from a convergence of interests with Russia. However, the advent of ISIS created further disarray in the region, presenting opportunities for countries to cooperate especially for Erdogan’s new Turkey which was still focused on fighting Kurds.