From Classic Realism to Iranian Realism a Frame Work for Explaining Iranian Foreign Relations with Great Powers (1501-1979)

Theorizing History of Iranian foreign relations can help researchers to understand the weaknesses of Iranian foreign policy toward great powers during the last five centuries. This Article is an attempt to explain the attitudes and common patterns of Iranian foreign relations from Safavieh to Pahlavi's fall in a new theoretical framework which is called Iranian Realism. In fact, this theory is constructed according to the Iranian foreign relations during the last five centuries and it offers pathological perspective to study Iranian foreign relations. Although Iranian Realism borrows some elements from Realism and Neo-Realism, it significantly differs from them. Deterministic influence of an anarchical international system, individualistic approach, non-institutional decision making process, structural authoritarianism, positive and negative balance making trend, permanent security threats and no convergence of interests between Iran and great powers are some of the key elements of Iranian Realism. In fact, Iranian Realism as its name implies, is an Iranian context-based theory and applicable to Iranian foreign relations toward great powers during the last five centuries