Iran’s Post-Arab Spring Foreign Policy Shifts towards Regional States

Abstract

Iran’s foreign policy has shifted significantly over the years, especially towards regional states – but one thing remained constant: its importance as a strategic and regional power in the Middle East. The Iranian Revolution saw the rise of modern Islamic governance in the region, further leading to an imposition of sanctions – isolating the country diplomatically. But Iran emerged gradually, with its development in nuclear energy and a shift in support towards militias in the Arab world, notably Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. While this has led to nuanced views of Iran in the eyes of other regional states, the end of the Arab Spring also served to be a focal point for the country, giving it a position, once again, in the regional spotlight and highlighting that it was still important. Taking into view current circumstances, as Iran and Israel face a stand-off with one another, the Western world has been caught up in a rift where the United States wants to strike at Iran but Europe wants to settle matters diplomatically.  The Arab Spring (2010–2011) acted as a decisive inflection point that redefined Iran’s regional calculus. The uprisings exposed the fragility of pro-Western regimes and opened power vacuums that Iran sought to fill through ideological and strategic instruments. Hence, the Arab Spring served not merely as a background event but as a catalyst for Iran’s eastward pivot and reassertion of its influence in a reconfigured Middle East.