look to the East

The war in Ukraine and the prospect of continuing and even intensifying tensions in Russia's relations with the West have strongly affected its foreign policy priorities. The "Look East" Strategy, which has historical roots in Russian foreign policy and has been more seriously pursued by the Kremlin since the second half of the 1990s and especially in the last decade, has become the dominant approach in Moscow's foreign policy. In fact, after the war in Ukraine, Russia has no choice but to go east. In this situation, the question is how the war in Ukraine will affect Russian policy toward the Middle East and Iran. What changes will happen in Russia's foreign policy regarding this region? It seems that parallel to the dominance of the "Look East" approach in Russia's foreign policy, the Middle East will also find a more strategic position in the country's foreign policy priorities. After the war in Ukraine, Russia will need to maintain and strengthen relations with the Middle East countries especially Iran much more than before in order to reduce the consequences of the political and economic pressures of the West. The methodology of this research is descriptive-analytical and the method of data collection is the library. In this regard, books, articles, documents, and Internet resources have been used to collect data.

This research aims to explore the strategic pivot in Iran's foreign policy toward Eastern countries under President Ebrahim Raisi. The study investigates the motivations behind this shift, its implications for Iran's international relations, and the effectiveness of this policy in achieving its intended goals. This article aims to dissect the conceptual underpinnings and theoretical content of Raisi's 'Look to the East' policy, situating it within broader theoretical and political contexts in international relations. The research question is: What are the driving forces behind Iran's increased engagement with Eastern countries under President Raisi, and how effective has this pivot been in enhancing Iran's geopolitical standing and economic stability? This article aims to prove analytically and descriptively the hypothesis that the Raisi administration's shift toward Eastern nations, particularly China and Russia, stems from a combination of economic necessity, geopolitical realignment, and the desire to evade Western sanctions. Findings: The research reveals that Raisi's policy has resulted in deeper economic and military collaborations with Eastern powers. However, while these moves have provided some economic relief and bolstered Iran's regional influence, they also present risks such as over-reliance on Eastern allies and potential geopolitical tensions with Western nations. The Raisi administration is orienting toward the East and establishing extensive ties with China and Russia in the military, economic, and security fields. The purpose of Iran's state is to form a global coalition against the US with Russia, China, and other states that oppose the Western world order.