Foreign and security policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze the role of sub-Saharan Africa plays in Iran’s calculations and foreign and security policy. In turn, several aspects will be analyzed, including the evolution of Iran’s approach towards this sub-region, its significance in Tehran’s geostrategic calculations, and a comparison of assumptions and actual accomplishments. The research hypothesis is that, in recent years, the importance of sub-Saharan Africa has grown in Iranian policymaking (during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency), but the political and economic weakness of this country, as well as the deliberate actions of Saudi Arabia, has drastically limited Iran’s penetration capabilities on the African continent and set the boundaries of African-Iranian rapprochement, especially at the political and military level. As part of the analysis, the following questions are relevant: to what extent and why does sub-Saharan Africa appear from the perspective of some Iranian decision makers as an attractive sub-region?; to what extent and why do particular Iranian policy makers (presidents) differ in assessing the importance of Africa?; to what extent does Iranian-Saudi competition impact the effectiveness of Tehran’s policy?