Abstract:

This paper sets out to explain Iranian and Islamic identities that play a critical role in Iran’s foreign policy-making, using “constructivism theory in international relations.” The aim is to ascertain the impact of Iranian and Islamic identities along with concomitant changes in current policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The policies Iran initiated after the 1979 Revolution focused on the relevance of Islamic identity, and also the need to export the Revolution this will be examined from a socio-economic and socio-cultural viewpoint. In this context, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Sunni Kurds and Balochi Iranian participants, and the data obtained was analyzed using “content analysis.” Iranian Sunni Balochi and Kurdish perspectives on Islamic, specifically Shiite, and also Iranian identity, all three of which gained importance in Iran’s foreign policy from 1979 onward are assessed.

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