The Impact of Environmental-Strategic Threats on the Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Foreign policy is a strategic tool for achieving the national goals of countries in the international environment and, from a classical perspective, it takes steps towards achieving continuous security and economic goals. Considering the existing threats, the strategic survival of countries has always been an easier goal for the foreign policy elites compared to the economic development. Widespread environmental threats are the main necessity that has put security-building and security-centeredness at the forefront of countries' foreign policy goals. The complexity and enigma of the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran stems from the volume of threats that act in conflict with national security. Balancing against threats indicates a greater foreign policy focus on security. The findings of the article indicate that in a situation where security threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran are constantly increasing, the sensitivity of security issues has become increasingly prominent in foreign policy, and the direction of foreign policy has inevitably become security-centered in nature. Given the three levels of "national, regional and international" threats that are in sharp conflict with the Iran's national security, the country's foreign policy faces a strategic obligation to counter these immediate threats. Iran's foreign policy, in order to achieve both economic and security goals, has forced the upgrade of the defense-security capability as the main and immediate goal. This phenomenon means the growing importance of security compared to development in the specific context of foreign policy and does not mean ignoring economic growth and development. The focus of this article is on identifying three-level threats as the main factors of foreign policy orientation toward strategic security-seeking.