An Investigation of the Relationship between the BRICS and Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Subject Areas : Iranian Political Research

Arezoo  Kheradmandan ¹ (PhD. Student, Department of Political Science, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.)
Bahram  Yousefi ² (Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran)
Roohollah  Shahabi ³ (Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran)
Shiva  Jalalpoor ⁴ (Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran)

Received: 2020-11-14 Accepted : 2020-11-30 Published : 2020-12-21

Keywords: Global Economy, Foreign policy, BRICS, Political Economy, National interests, Islamic Republic of Iran, foreign relations,

Abstract :

The purpose of the present study is to explain the relationship between the BRICS members and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The research relies on the hypothesis that the relation between BRICS and the Islamic Republic of Iran is defined within the framework of foreign relations between Iran and the BRICS nations. The method of study is descriptive analysis and the results show that although the BRICS is against the U.S unilateralism, it does not seem to have sufficient resources or be able to moderate the effects of U.S sanctions against Iran as much as it is expected. Among the BRICS states, Russia indirectly benefits from the U.S sanctions against Iran as Iran’s failure to produce more natural gas as well as its financial and technological failures to complete energy projects in near future would lead to a regional and global market in favor of Russia and to the detriment of Iran. On the other hand, the BRICS members have long-term plans to prevent the U.S unilateralism while they have not cut their political-economic relations with the U.S and have not challenged the structure of the international system. According to the approach of constructivism, the leaders ought to observe the norms of international structure in order to gain more benefit for their country as the constructivists hold that the countries’ foreign policy and their close relations in the international level take a serious form in terms of their common approaches. It is evident that the BRICS members take this fact into account and thereby they would not get into an ideological fight with the U.S in the international arena. Therefore, the relations with the BRICS countries would have no extreme and ideal effect on the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

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