An Islamic Perspective on Non-Alignment: Iranian Foreign Policy in Theory and Practice
Year: 2001
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Contrary to the expectation of some Western observers, 1 the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is still strongly advocated by third world countries in general, and by Iran, in particular, in the post-Cold War period. Even during the Cold War, non-alignment was not just about rejecting the superpowers in a bipolar structure. It was really about providing policy options and a sense of independence for third world states soon after the decolonisation process. Since the demise of the Soviet Union, third world leaders, especially the Iranian political elite, still support a non-aligned policy and the Non-Aligned Movement in a world with only one superpower. This is evident by statements of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani 2 and the newly elected President Khatami. 3 Despite his accommodating statements regarding the general context of US-Iran relations in a January 1998 interview with CNN, 4 President Khatami stood strong in expressing the independent, antihegemonic, and non-aligned foreign policy of the Islamic Republic. 5 The fascination with non-alignment as a foreign policy strategy goes back to the early days of the Iranian Revolution, a turning point for Iranian foreign relations which shifted drastically from a close alliance with the United States to a non-aligned stance. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Source: Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks
Author: Houman A. Sadri
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2476912915