Analysis of the Foreign Policy of the Rouhani Administration towards Latin America (Case Study: Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina)

Subject Areas : Iranian Political Research

Masoud Izadi ¹ , Keyhan Barzegar ² , Davood Kiani ³

1 - PhD. Student, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law, Theology and Political Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Faculty of Law, Theology and Political Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Faculty of Law, Theology and Political Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2024-10-12 Accepted : 2025-02-19 Published : 2025-01-28

Keywords: Foreign Policy, Islamic Republic of Iran, Latin America, James Rosenau’s Linkage Theory, Foreign Relations, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, International Relations,

Abstract :

This study examines the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards Latin America, with an emphasis on Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina during the Rouhani administration, through the lens of James Rosenau’s Linkage Theory. The research employs a descriptive-analytical method and finds that the Rouhani administration, due to its focus on the nuclear dossier and lifting sanctions, pursued a foreign policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean that differed from its predecessor by avoiding political grandstanding, anti-Western slogans, and confrontational measures. Instead, Rouhani sought to expand economic relations with countries in the region through a pragmatic approach. Among the various factors influencing Rouhani’s foreign policy towards Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina, the international system played the most significant role. Individual and role-related factors had a moderate impact, while government and societal variables played a minimal role.