Abstract

Following a dramatic decline of Tehran’s regional influence and the weakening of its “Axis of Resistance” in the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran has focused on an accelerated strategic pivot toward Central Eurasia. This panel examines how Tehran is redefining its geopolitical identity- from a “revolutionary” identity characterized by proxy conflicts in the Middle East toward a “connectivity” posture defined by institutional integration, economic cooperation, and transport diplomacy with the Eurasian countries.

The panel argues that Central Eurasia has become a venue for “strategic rehabilitation” of Iran. Unlike the Middle East, where Tehran’s influence is often viewed through the lens of sectarian friction, Central Eurasia offers a space where Iran can rely on shared Persianate history, cultural commonalities, and geoeconomic pragmatism. In this region, Iran is accepted not as an ideological actor but as an acceptable economic and cultural partner. Iran’s image in Central Eurasia is less dark than what is perceived in the Middle East.

The panel will focus on Iran’s “Look East” policy and issues like joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, becoming a member of the BRICS+, implementation of the EAEU-Iran Free Trade Agreement, and the operationalization of new transit routes with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan will be analyzed. At the same time, it addresses the critical connection of the Iranian volatile domestic situation with its foreign policy, utilizing Eurasian integration as a survival strategy to mitigate the dire consequences of the early 2026 domestic economic protests.

The session brings together multi-disciplinary analyses to address three key issues:

1) The Geopolitics of Survival: How the loss of Middle Eastern proxies has forced Tehran to recalibrate its foreign policy direction toward security and economic partnerships with Eurasian countries; 2) Institutional Integration: Evaluating the tangible impact of Iran’s full membership in the SCO and BRICS+ on regional de-dollarization and trade; and 3) Identity and Perception: Why the secular regimes of Central Asia view Iran’s pragmatic “Persianate” diplomacy as more palatable than its revolutionary “Islamic” rhetoric.

Ultimately, this panel (re)thinks Iran's status in the world, proposing that Tehran is trading ideological expansion in the south for geoeconomic resilience in the north. This shift highlights a significant turning point in Iran’s foreign policy.

Expected outcomes of the panel:

- Offering a conceptual framework for “Strategic Pivot”;

- Proposing policy-relevant insights on the INSTC;

- Fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue;

- Real-time crisis analysis; and

- Publication potential in a peer-reviewed journal.