Regionalism and Foreign Policy Change of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Central Asia (2013-2019)

Foreign policy is an important area for all governments, and even many domestic issues such as development, welfare, employment, and domestic stability are somehow created in connection with successful foreign policy. Countries' foreign policies are influenced by national capabilities and international constraints. In the First Government of Hassan Rouhani (2013-17), the Islamic Republic of Iran has tried to pay more attention to Central Asia as one of the most important regions around Iran in the post-JPCOA period and in the tense situation in the Middle East. By paying attention to the concept of regionalism, the Rouhani government has sought to strengthen its influence in Central Asia. The present article examines Iran's cooperation with Central Asian countries in the Rouhani government by adopting a descriptive-analytical approach in the framework of the regionalism approach. The main question is what effect the foreign policy of the Rouhani government has had on advancing Iran's political and economic goals in the Central Asian region, and what tools and facilities it has used to achieve these goals. The hypothesis is based on the principle that the goal of the Rouhani government's regionalist policy in Central Asia is to achieve long-term goals by overcoming failures and paying attention to the potentials of both sides for trade, investment and mutual influence. Hence, the government has tried to expand its relations with Central Asian countries by using cultural, historical and economic commonalities.