Foreign relations of Iran

Algeria is one of the few Arab and Sunni nations that has been friendly towards Iran. Iran is also one of the only states in the Middle East to voice support for the Polisario Front, a rebel movement backed by Algeria. Both countries also support the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.[33]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 November 1984.[35]

Comoros severed the diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016.[40]

• Egypt has an interest section in Tehran.

In November 2010, Gambia broke off diplomatic relations with Iran in reaction to a weapons shipment. The Gambian government allowed 48 hours to Iranians to leave the country.[46]

Iran and Ghana maintain a historic special relationship and Iran has an embassy in Ghana and Ghana has an embassy in Tehran.[47][48]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 August 1990[49]

Both countries cooperate in various fields (education, mining, health, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, development and energy).[50][51]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 December 1967.[55]

The relations between two countries began in 1967 when both countries were governed by monarchs.[56]However, the relations became strained when Muammar Gaddafi seized the power on 1 September 1969 due to his alliance with other Arab leaders such as Gamal Nasser against Shah Mohammad Reza.[56]

Libya broke ranks with most of the Arab states when it came out in support of Iran during the Iran–Iraq War. There is a Libyan embassy in Tehran and an Iranian embassy in Tripoli.

There have been several instances in which Iran and Morocco have mostly or completely severed diplomatic relations. Iran cut off diplomatic ties with Morocco in 1981 after King Hassan II gave asylum to the exiled Shah. It took almost a decade for relations to thaw; Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi of Morocco led the first Moroccan delegation to the Islamic Republic of Iran.[62] Economic ties increased greatly in 2009.[63]

On 6 March 2009, Morocco severed diplomatic ties with Iran, offering several reasons. Morocco's Foreign Ministry said it was a result of Iran's spreading the Shi’ite variety of Islam in Sunni Morocco constituted interference in domestic affairs.[63][64]

On 1 May 2018, Morocco severed diplomatic ties with Iran over Tehran's support for the Polisario Front, a Western Sahara independence movement. Morocco Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita told reporters Morocco would close its embassy in Tehran and would expel the Iranian ambassador in Rabat.[65]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 13 May 1971.[69]

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade pledged to expand bilateral ties in the fields of economics, tourism and politics in addition to increased efforts to empower OIC.[70] Iran Khodro established[71] an assembly line to produce Iranian cars in Senegal for African markets. The company had the capacity to produce 10,000 Samand cars annually.[72]

In February 2011, Senegal severed diplomatic relations with Iran as it accused Iran of supplying weapons to rebels in the Casamance region.[73]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 May 1994.[76]

South Africa and Iran share historical bilateral relations and the latter supported the South African liberation movements. It severed official relations with South Africa in 1979 and imposed a trade boycott in protest against the country's Apartheid policies. However, in January 1994 Iran lifted all trade and economic sanctions against South Africa and diplomatic relations were reestablished on 10 May 1994.[77]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 August 1972[78]

Owing to various cultural and historical compatibilities, Iran and Sudan have generally sought a very cordial and friendly relationship. The two nations share membership in the OIC and the Group of 77. Although they differ in ethnic identity (Iran is predominantly Persian, while Sudan is Afro-Arab) and denomination (the two nations are Muslim, but the former is mainly Shi'a, while the latter is Sunni), Iran and Sudan have a common strategic bond with both the People's Republic of China and Russia, and a common animosity towards the United States. Relations between Tehran and Khartoum have continued to grow, especially since April 2006, when then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voiced his opposition to the deployment in the Darfur region of Western peacekeepers from the United Nations. Sudan ardently supports Iran's nuclear program. Both countries are also firmly against Israel.

On 4 January 2016 Sudan cut off all diplomatic relations with Iran due to tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran.[79]

On 6 July 2023, Iran and Sudan agreed to restore diplomatic relations.[80]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 11 February 1983.[84]

There are growing economic, social and cultural ties between Iran and Zimbabwe. Relations between Iran and Zimbabwe started in 1979 when the late Vice President Simon Muzenda visited Tehran to meet leaders of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.[85] Zimbabwe opened an embassy in Tehran in 2003.[86]

In 2005 President Mugabe confirmed the formal engagement of Iran in bilateral relations during the State visit to Zimbabwe by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. In 2009 President Mugabe in a state TV address confirmed his support for the Iranian nuclear program and the shared struggle against "demagogues and international dictators."[87]

In 2022, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, First Lady of Zimbabwe, visited Iran, focusing on philanthropic work: she spoke of the shared experience of the two countries: "I appreciate the cordial relations that exist between the two countries, Zimbabwe and Iran. We are both victims of illegal sanctions [sic] therefore, we should learn from each other’s experiences”.[88]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 July 1902.[93]

• Argentina has an embassy in Tehran.
• Iran has an embassy in Buenos Aires.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 November 1992.[95]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 8 September 2007.[96]

Brazil and Iran have enjoyed increasingly close political relations over the years, growing with the volume of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.[97][98] The election of Dilma Rousseff as president of Brazil has brought a change to Brazilian policy towards Iran. Rousseff harshly criticized the human rights situation in Iran. During her electoral campaign she said that women stoning in Iran is "Medieval behavior."[99] and after coming into office Brazil supported a resolution for nominating a U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Iran, whose eventual report condemned Iranian rights abuses.[100] in response Iranian President Ahmadinejad's media adviser, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, was quoted as stating that Rousseff had "destroyed years of good relations" between them[101] Ahmadinejad did not go to Brazil while touring South America in January 2012.

Canadian–Iranian relations date back to 1955, up to which point Canadian consular and commercial affairs in Iran were handled by the British Embassy. A Canadian diplomatic mission was constructed in Tehran in 1959 and raised to Embassy status in 1961. Due to rocky relations after the Iranian Revolution, Iran did not establish an embassy in Canada until 1991 when its staff, which had been living in a building on Roosevelt Avenue in Ottawa's west end, moved into 245 Metcalfe Street in the Centretown neighbourhood of Ottawa and the mission was upgraded to embassy status.

On 7 September 2012, Canada broke off diplomatic relations with Iran, saying "It is among the world’s worst violators of human rights; and it shelters and materially supports terrorist groups." In a statement, Canadian foreign minister John Baird said "the Iranian regime has shown blatant disregard for the Vienna Convention and its guarantee of protection for diplomatic personnel. Under the circumstances, Canada can no longer maintain a diplomatic presence in Iran. Our diplomats serve Canada as civilians, and their safety is our number one priority."[102] The announcement of embassy closure happened on the same day that the movie Argo, about the Canadian Caper, was released at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Following the election of Justin Trudeau in October 2015, the new Canadian government is looking to repair diplomatic relations with Iran and lifted most of its economic sanctions, following a historic Iranian nuclear deal in July 2015. Canada engaged in sanctions against the Guidance Patrol.

• Chile has an embassy in Tehran.
• Iran has an embassy in Santiago.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 February 1975.[104]

Iran has a productive trade balance with Cuba and both also have good and friendly relations. The two governments signed a document to bolster cooperation in Havana in January 2006.[105] Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called relations "firm and progressive" over the past three decades.[106]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 July 1973.[107]

In early 2010, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa alleged his country was being sanctioned because of ties to Iran. After an attempted coup against Correa in 2010, the two countries signalled intentions to deepen ties.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 October 1964.[112]

The first diplomatic contacts between Mexico and Iran took place in 1889.The first agreement of friendly relationship, established the lines of cooperation and interchange between two friend nations was signed on 24^th of March in 1937.[113]Mexico and Iran have enjoyed increasingly close political and economic relations over the years, growing with the volume of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. The two countries aim to expand cooperation in several sectors, sharing science and technology, particularly in the oil industry. Both countries have also shared successful experiences in cultural cooperation and exchange. In 2008, an agreement to form a Mexico-Iran parliamentary friendship group was made at the Mexican parliament.

• Iran has an embassy in Mexico City.[114]
• Mexico has an embassy in Tehran.[115]

Former US Secretary of State, John Kerry with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Switzerland, 2015.

Political relations between Iran and the United States began in the mid-to-late 19th century, but had slight importance and aroused little controversy until the post-World War II era of the Cold War and the rise of petroleum exports from the Persian Gulf. An era of close alliance between Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's regime and the American government was followed by a dramatic reversal and hostility between the two countries after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Currently, Iranian interests in the United States are handled through the Pakistani embassy.[121]

Opinions differ over what has caused the decades of poor relations. Explanations offered include everything from the "natural and unavoidable" conflict between the Islamic Revolution on the one hand, and American arrogance[122] and desire for global dictatorship and hegemony on the other,[123] to the regime's need for an "external bogeyman" to "furnish a pretext for domestic repression" against pro-democratic forces, and bind the regime to its "small but loyal and heavily armed constituency".[124]

• Iran has an embassy in Montevideo.
• Uruguay has an embassy in Tehran.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 August 1950.[125]

Venezuela's former president, Hugo Chávez and Iran's former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have both described themselves on the world stage as opposed to US imperialism. Citing this commonality of opinion, they regard each other as allies, and they have embarked on a number of initiatives together. For example, on 6 January 2007 the two announced that they would use some money from a previously announced $2 billion joint fund to invest in other countries that were "attempting to liberate themselves from the imperialist yoke," in Chávez's words.[126] The two presidents declared an "axis of unity" against "US imperialism".[127]

Afghanistan's relations with Iran have fluctuated in modern times, due to the Taliban's control of the country in the 1990s, the thousands of illegal Afghan immigrants and refugees in Iran, and with occasional disputes about water rights over the Helmand River. Also, Iran has been accused of supporting the Taliban many times from legitimizing it by entertaining the Taliban's delegates to supplying them with arms and even training them.[128][129][130] Afghan migrants and refugees have been systematically harassed, abused, and killed by the Iranian government.[131][132]

Iran is situated along one of the main trafficking routes for cannabis, heroin, opium and morphine produced in Afghanistan, and 'designer drugs' have also found their way into the local market in recent years. Iran's police said in April 2009 that 7,700 tonnes of opium were produced in Afghanistan in 2008, of which 3000 tonnes entered Iran, adding that the force had managed to seize 1000 tonnes of the smuggled opium.[133]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 February 1992.[134] Despite religious and ideological differences, relations between Armenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran remain cordial and both Armenia and Iran are strategic partners in the region.

The two neighbouring countries share to a great extent similar history and culture, and have had relations for thousands of years, starting with the Median Empire. Both countries have Indo-European national languages, and Armenian and Persian have influenced each other. Iran only lost the territory that nowadays comprises Armenia in the course of the 19th century, by the Russo-Persian Wars, irrevocably to neighbouring Imperial Russia.[135] There are no border disputes between the two countries and the Christian Armenian minority in Iran, amongst the largest and oldest communities in the world,[136] and the largest in the Middle East, enjoys official recognition. Of special importance is the cooperation in the field of energy security which lowers Armenia's dependence on Russia and can in the future also supply Iranian gas to Europe through Georgia and the Black Sea.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 March 1992.[137]

The peoples of Azerbaijan and Iran share a long and complex relationship, resulting in deep historical, religious and cultural ties. The largest population of ethnic Azerbaijanis live in Iran and until 1813/1828, the soil of the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan was Iranian territory, prior to being forcefully ceded to Russia by the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813 and the Treaty of Turkmenchay of 1828.[138][139][140][141][142][143] Both nations are the only officially majority-Shia nations in the world as well, and have the highest and second highest Shia populations in the world by percentage.[144] Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tehran. and a consulate-general in Tabriz. Iran has an embassy in Baku. and a consulate-general in Nakhchivan. Both countries are full members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 August 1971.[145]

Bahrain severed diplomatic ties on 4 January 2016 after the attack on the Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 June 1974 when Bangladesh embassy was established in Iran and on 24th January 1975 Iran embassy was also established in Bangladesh.[146]

Bangladesh and Iran signed a preferential trade accord in July 2006 which removed non-tariff barriers, with a view to eventually establishing a free-trade agreement.[147] Before the signing of the accord, bilateral trade between the countries amounted to US$100 million annually.

In mid-2007, the Bangladeshi government requested Iran's help with the construction of a nuclear power plant, in order to offset the decline in the availability of gas for power generation. The Bangladeshi Minister of Power, Energy and Natural Resources also requested Iranian assistance for the construction of new oil refineries in Bangladesh.[148]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 August 1971.[150]

Countries which signed cooperation documents related to the Belt and Road Initiative.

Iran continues to align itself politically with the People's Republic of China as the European Union and United States push forward with policies to isolate Iran both politically and economically. Iran has observer status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and aspires to membership in this body, in which China plays a leading role.

In July 2004, Iranian parliamentary speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel stressed China's support for Iran's nuclear programs.[151] China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing also said that his country opposes Iran being referred to the United Nations Security Council over its nuclear program, and claimed that the 7 April 1980 government had a very positive attitude in its cooperation with the IAEA.[152]

China and Iran have developed a friendly economic and strategic partnership. China is believed to have helped Iran militarily in the following areas: conduct training of high-level officials on advanced systems, provide technical support, supply specialty steel for missile construction, provide control technology for missile development, build a missile factory and test range. It is rumored that China is responsible for aiding in the development of advanced conventional weapons including surface-to-air missiles, combat aircraft, radar systems, and fast-attack missile vessels.[153]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 May 1992.[154]

Iran and Georgia have had relations for hundreds of years. Georgia, throughout its history, has several times been annexed by the Persian Empire, specifically under the Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid, and Safavid dynasties. Accordingly, there has been a lot of political and cultural exchange, and Georgia was often considered a part of Greater Iran. Iran and Georgia, or the Georgian kingdoms, have had relations in different forms, beginning with trade in the Achaemenid era. The relationship got more complex as the Safavids took power in Iran and attempted to maintain Iranian control of the Georgian kingdoms. This continued until the 19th century when Russia, through the Russo-Persian War (1804–13) and Russo-Persian War (1826–1828), took the Caucasus from the Qajars, and thus Iran irrevocably lost the whole region, including Georgia.[135] In the early 20th century, Iran–Georgian relations were merged into Iran–Soviet relations. Since Georgia's independence from the Soviet Union, the two nations have cooperated in many fields including energy, transport, trade, education, and science. Iran is one of Georgia's most important trading partners and an Intergovernmental Joint Economic Commission is functioning between the two countries.[155]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 March 1950.[156]

After the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Iran withdrew from CENTO and dissociated itself from US-friendly countries during the Cold War.[157] Some sources suggest, however, that Iran's Islamic revolution could have been an indirect influence on India's current problems with separatism in Kashmir.

The two countries currently have friendly relations in many areas. There are significant trade ties, particularly in crude-oil imports into India and diesel exports to Iran. Iran objected to Pakistan's attempts to draft anti-India resolutions at international organizations such as the OIC in 1994.[158] Reciprocally, India supported Iran's inclusion as an observer state in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.[159] In the 1990s, India and Iran both supported the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan against the Taliban regime.[158]

India and Iran have had relations for millennia. With the growth of India's strategic and economic ties with the United States and the West in recent years, there have been instances of marked differences in diplomatic stances of the two countries on core issues. Specifically, India has twice voted against Iran in the IAEA in 2005 and 2009, calling on Iran to halt its nuclear weapons programme.[160] as well as abstained on a key UN General Assembly resolution condemning Iran for its involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi envoy to Washington.[161]

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi held a meeting in the Iranian capital of Tehran.

Indonesia and Iran are Muslim majority countries, despite the differences in its religious orientation. Indonesia has the largest Muslim Sunni population, while Iran is the largest Shiite nation.[162]

As Islamic countries that have among the largest Muslim populations in the world, Iran and Indonesia hold themselves responsible for promoting Islam as a peaceful religion.[163] Diplomatic relations have continued since 1950. Indonesia has an embassy in Tehran, and Iran has an embassy in Jakarta. Both countries are full members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), The Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Developing 8 Countries.

Jakarta had offered to help mediate the Iranian nuclear dispute, Jakarta is on good terms with Iran and other Middle East countries, as well as with the West.[164][165]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 25 April 1929 when Iran formally recognized Iraq and appointed a diplomatic representative to Baghdad.[166]

Iran–Iraq relations have been turbulent since the war they fought in the 1980s. However, bilateral relations have improved since the fall of Iraq's former president Saddam Hussein in 2003. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the first Iranian president to visit Iraq since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran has an embassy in Baghdad and three consulates-general, in Sulaimaniya, Erbil, and Karbala. Iraq has an embassy in Tehran, and three Consulate-Generals in Ahwaz, Kermanshah, and Mashad.

In 1947, Iran voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine and recognized Israel two years later. Under the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Iran and Israel enjoyed high degree of diplomatic relations.

Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the two states become hostile and the current Iranian government does not recognize the existence of Israel. However, Iranian passports have a back cover reads: "The holder of this passport is not entitled to travel to occupied Palestine". Both countries have severed their diplomatic and commercial ties with each other. Iran does not recognize Israel and refers to it as a Zionist entity or a Zionist regime.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 August 1929 when It was stated in Teheran that the Japanese Government had decided to establish a Legation there.[167]

Throughout history, the two countries have maintained a relatively friendly and strongly strategic partnership.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 January 1992.[168]

Trade turnover between the two countries increased fivefold in the last six years, from $400 million to more than $2 billion in 2009.[89]

Iran imports grain, petroleum products, and metals from Kazakhstan.[89] Iran is a partner in joint oil and gas projects including construction of a pipeline connecting Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan with Iran's (Persian Gulf) which will give Astana access to the Asian markets. Kazakhstan is specially interested in Iranian investment in mechanical engineering, infrastructure, transport, and telecommunications.[89]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 December 1961.[169]

• Iran has an embassy in Kuwait City.
• Kuwait has an embassy in Tehran.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 May 1992.[170]

Iran and Kyrgyzstan have signed agreements on cooperation in the spheres of transport, customs, trade, and economic relations. Iran and Kyrgyzstan interact in the spheres of education, culture, travel, customs, finances, and the war on trafficking and crime in general.[89]

The two countries trade in agriculture and capital goods. In 2008, Iran promised Kyrgyzstan €200 million for some economic projects. Iranian companies participated in construction of a highway connecting Bishkek and Osh. Iran and Kyrgyzstan hope to increase their annual trade turnover to $100 million.[89]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 September 1944.[171]

Around June 1982, Iran dispatched more than 1000 Revolutionary Guards to the predominantly Shi'ite Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. There they established themselves, taking over the Lebanese Army's regional headquarters in the Sheikh Abdullah barracks, as well as a modern clinic, renamed "Hospital Khomeini", and the Hotel Khayyam. The Pasdaran were active in many places, including schools, where they propagated Islamic doctrine.[172] Iranian clerics, most notably Fazlollah Mahallati, supervised.[173]

From this foothold, the Islamic Republic helped organize one of its biggest successes, the Hezbollah militia, a party and social-services organization devoted to the Khomeini principle of Guardianship (i.e. rule) of the Islamic Jurists (Velayat-e-Faqih), and loyal to Khomeini as their leader.[174] Over the next seven years Iran is estimated to have spent $5 to $10 million US per month on Hezbollah, although the organization is now said to have become more self-sufficient.[175][176][177]

In the words of Hussein Musawi, a former commander of Amal militia who joined Hezbollah:

We are her [Iran's] children. We are seeking to formulate an Islamic society which in the final analysis will produce an Islamic state. … The Islamic revolution will march to liberate Palestine and Jerusalem, and the Islamic state will then spread its authority over the region of which Lebanon is only a part.[178]

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 (2 September 2004) called for the "disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias". The Government of Lebanon is responsible for the implementation, and for preventing the flow of armaments and other military equipment to the militias, yet including Hezbollah, from Syria, Iran, and other external sources.

In January 2017, the two countries are set to pursue a free trade agreement.[179] A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on gas field study was signed in February between National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Malaysia's Bukhary International Ventures (BIV).[180] Both countries have integrated their banking transactions and also agreed to use local currencies along with Chinese yuan and Japanese yen in their bilateral trade.[181][182][183] As of 2015, there are around 5,000 Iranian students in Malaysia, while only 15 Malaysian students in Iran.[184]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 April 1973.[188]

Iran – North Korea relations are described as being positive by official news agencies of the two countries. They have pledged cooperation in the educational, scientific, and cultural spheres.[189] North Korea also assisted Iran in its nuclear program.[190] Iran and North Korea have close relations due to their shared hostility towards the United States, who designated both nations as state sponsors of terrorism and part of the Axis of evil.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 August 1971[191]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 August 1947 when Pakistan and Iran have agreed to exchange diplomatic representatives.[192]

Iran was the first nation to recognize Pakistan's independence. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Iran supported Pakistan under the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and opened the Iran-Pakistan border to provide fuel and arms to the Pakistani soldiers. After the 1971 war Iran tried to strengthen its ties with Pakistan's arch rival India. The Shah of Iran planned to annex the Balochistan province as Pakistan would surrender after a loss of the 1971 war. Following the Iranian revolution of 1979, Pakistan started having close relations with Saudi Arabia. Their relations are complex, driven by Pakistani geo-political aspirations, religious affiliations, Iran's relations with India, and internal and external factors.

The Islamic Republic of Iran (established after the 1979 Iranian Revolution) closed the Israeli embassy in Tehran and replaced it with a Palestinian embassy. Iran favours a Palestinian state and officially endorses the replacement of Israel with a unitary Palestinian state or whatever choice the Palestinian people decide through a democratic vote. However, in a 2006 interview, the former reformer President Mohammad Khatami said that Iran has also stated its willingness to accept a two-state solution if the Palestinians find this acceptable.[193][194]

The Iranian government regularly sends aid to various Palestinian causes, everything from transporting injured children to hospitals to supplying the Palestinian Islamist militant groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas with arms. Streets and squares named after Palestinians crisscross the nation.[195]

Several Palestinian militant resistance groups, including Hamas, are Iranian allies. The Iranian government also gives substantial assistance to the Hamas government in Gaza, which is embargoed by Israel, and depends on outside sources for an estimated 90% of its budget. Iranian support has not been unconditional however, and in July and August 2011 Iran cut funding to show its displeasure at "Hamas's failure to hold public rallies in support" of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian Civil War. In part for this reason, Hamas was unable to pay July salaries of its "40,000 civil service and security employees."[196]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 January 1964.[197]

Iran has an embassy in Manila,[198] while the Philippines has an embassy in Tehran.[199]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 October 1971.[200]

• Iran has an embassy in Doha.
• Qatar has an embassy in Tehran.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 August 1929.[201]

Due to various political and cultural clashes throughout history, relations between the two nations have been greatly strained. In 1966 King Faisal of Saudi Arabia visited Iran with the aim of further strengthening the relationships between the countries. The Shah (King) of Iran reciprocated by paying an official visit to Saudi Arabia, which eventually led to a peaceful resolution of a dispute concerning the islands of Farsi and Arabi: it was agreed that Farsi would belong to Iran and Arabi would be under the control of Saudi Arabia. A unique feature of this agreement is that it assigned only territorial waters to the islands, not the continental shelf.[202] In 1968, when Great Britain announced its withdrawal from the Persian Gulf, Iran and Saudi Arabia took the primary responsibility for peace and security in the region. During the 1970s, Saudi Arabia's main bilateral concerns were Iran's modernization of its military, which was capable of dominating the entire region, and Iran's repossession of the Islands of Big Tunb, Little Tunb and Abu Moussa in 1971, challenging the United Arab Emirates' claim to the Islands.[202] Despite these frictions, the friendliness of Iran–Saudi Arabia relations reached a peak in the period between 1968 and 1979.[203] After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Khomeini and other Iranian leaders openly attacked and criticized the character and religious legitimacy of the Saudi regime. According to Le Figaro, on 5 June 2010 King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia told Hervé Morin, the Defense Minister of France, "There are two countries in the world that do not deserve to exist: Iran and Israel."[204] On 3 January 2016, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran.

Iran and Saudi Arabia restored relations in 2023.[205]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 6 August 1973.[206]

Singapore and Iran maintain cordial relations, despite Singapore's close relationship with the United States. The island city state and Iran have conducted numerous cultural exchanges as well as a high expatriate Iranian population living in Singapore.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 November 1946 when has been accredited Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Iran to Syria with residence in Beirut Mr. Zein-el-Abdine Rahnema.[207]

Syria was one of the few Arab countries to support Iran during the Iran–Iraq War, putting them at odds with other nations in the Arab League.[208] Iran and Syria have had a strategic alliance ever since, partially due to their common animosity towards Saddam Hussein and coordination against the United States and Israel. Syria and Iran cooperate on arms smuggling from Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which borders Israel.[209] Iran was reported as helping Syria to suppress the anti-government protests that broke out in 2011 with training, munitions and high-tech surveillance technology.[210] The Guardian reported in May 2011 that the Iranian Republican Guard increased its "level of technical support and personnel support" to strengthen Syria's "ability to deal with protesters," according to one diplomat in Damascus.[211] Iran reportedly assisted the Syrian government sending it riot control equipment, intelligence monitoring techniques and oil.[212] It also agreed to fund a large military base at Latakia airport.[212] The Daily Telegraph has claimed in August that a former member of Syria's secret police reported "Iranian snipers" had been deployed in Syria to assist in the crackdown on protests.[213] According to the US government, Mohsen Chizari, the Quds Force's third-in-command, has visited Syria to train security services to fight against the protestors.[214] On 24 June 2011 The EU's official journal said the three Iranian Revolutionary Guard members now subject to sanctions had been "providing equipment and support to help the Syrian regime suppress protests in Syria".[215] The Iranians added to the EU sanctions list were two Revolutionary Guard commanders, Soleimani and Brig Cmdr Mohammad Ali Jafari, and the Guard's deputy commander for intelligence, Hossein Taeb.[216]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 October 1962.[217]

Iran – South Korea relations are described as being positive despite Iran's close relationship with North Korea, and South Korea's with the United States. The two countries have maintained a relatively friendly and strongly strategic partnership. South Korea is one of Iran's major commercial partners.

Iran and Sri Lanka have had official diplomatic relations since 1961. Diplomatic relations between Iran and Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon) began in 1961 via the Ceylonese embassy in Islamabad, which was the closest Ceylon had to a presence on Iranian soil until the opening of the Tehran embassy office in 1990. Tehran set up its Colombo office in 1975. After Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became President of Iran, Sri Lanka was the first country he visited on his inaugural Asian tour. Mahinda Rajapaksa also made ties with Iran a priority after he ascended to office.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 9 November 1955.[219]

A period of coolness passed after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which caused major changes in Iran and the world's status quo. Today Iran and Turkey cooperate in a wide variety of fields that range from fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, and promoting stability in Iraq and Central Asia. Iran and Turkey also have very close trade and economic relations. Both countries are part of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). Turkey receives about 2 million Iranian tourists each year[221] and benefits economically from Iranian tourism.[222]

Bilateral trade between the nations is increasing. In 2005, bilateral trade increased to $4 billion from $1 billion in 2000.[223] Iran's gas exports to Turkey are likely to increase. Turkey imports about 10 billion cubic meters a year of gas from Iran, about thirty percent of its needs.[224] Turkey plans to invest $12 billion in developing phases 22, 23, and 24 of the South Pars gas field, a senior Iranian oil official told Shana.ir.[89] Half of this gas will be re-exported to Europe.[225] Two-way trade is now in the range of $10 billion (2008), and both governments have announced that the figure should reach the $20 billion mark in the not-too-distant future.[226] Turkey has won the tender for privatization of the Razi Petrochemical Complex, valued at $650 million (2008). Since the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt, the two states began close co-operation especially on the 2017–18 Qatar diplomatic crisis. Visits of Persian diplomatic delegations to Siam are attested as early as 1685.[227]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 February 1992.[228]

Iran and Turkmenistan have had relations since the latter's separation from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Iran was the first nation to recognize Turkmenistan's independence.[229] Since then, the two countries have enjoyed good relations and have cooperated in the economic, infrastructure, and energy sectors. Trade between the two nations surpasses $1 billion and Iranians are the second-largest buyers of Turkmen commodities, mainly natural gas. The $139-million Korpeje-Kurt Kui gas pipeline in western Turkmenistan and the $167-million Dousti ("Friendship" in Persian) Dam in the south of the country were built through a joint venture.

Their Caspian Sea territorial boundaries are a cause of tension between the two countries. Iran's Islamic theocracy and Turkmenistan's secular dictatorship also prevent the development of a closer friendship.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 October 1972[230]

• Iran has an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate-general in Dubai.
• United Arab Emirates has an embassy in Tehran. The embassy is administered by a Chargés d'affaires en pied.[231]
• Iran and United Arab Emirates both claims three islands in the Persian Gulf (Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb).

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 10 May 1992.[232] The two countries have deep cultural and historical ties that date back to several centuries. Iran has been especially been active in pursuing economic projects and social, cultural, and diplomatic initiatives in Uzbekistan. The two nations have also worked on overland links and other joint ventures. Although the differences between their political systems, Iran's Islamic theocracy and Uzbekistan's presidential constitutional republic, keep the two nations apprehensive, it has not deterred them from further improving relations.[233] Iran and Uzbekistan agreed to develop cooperation in agriculture, transport, oil and gas production, construction, production of pharmaceuticals, and banking.[89]

The state visit of Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Iran in 2023 marked the beginning of a new phase of cooperation between the two nations. During the visit, a total of 15 agreements were signed, further strengthening bilateral ties. Notably, this visit led to the establishment of direct flights between Tehran and Samarkand, facilitating enhanced connectivity and promoting closer relations between the two cities.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 August 1973.[234]

• Iran has an embassy in Hanoi.
• Vietnam has an embassy in Tehran.

• As for the result of Albania's alignment with the United States after the 1990s, the relations between the two countries remain poor. Albania's decision to welcome People's Mujahedin of Iran taking refuge in the country led to further deterioration of Albanian–Iranian relations.[235]
• On 7 September 2022, Albania severed diplomatic ties with Iran over cyberattacks.[236]

• Austria has an embassy in Tehran.
• Iran has an embassy in Vienna.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 March 1993.[238]

Belarus has an embassy in Tehran; Iran has an embassy in Minsk. The two countries have enjoyed good relations in recent years, reflected in regular high-level meetings and various agreements. In 2008, Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov described Iran as an important partner of his country in the region and the world.[239] Both Iran and Belarus are allies of Russia.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 November 1897.[241]

Bulgaria has had an embassy in Tehran since 1939.[242] Iran has an embassy in Sofia.[243]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 April 1992.[244]

Croatia has an embassy in Tehran; Iran maintains an embassy and a cultural centre in Zagreb. Iran was the seventh country to recognize the newly independent Croatia.

The Croatian national oil company INA is active in the Ardabil Province.[245] Iranian vice-president Hassan Habibi visited Croatia in 1995.[246] Croatian president Stipe Mesić had a three-day state visit to Iran in 2001.[247] In 2008 Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hailed the two countries' relations and said that their shared cultures and histories, owing to the possible Iranian origin of the Croats, would strengthen those relations.[248]

• Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: list of bilateral treaties with Iran

• Cyprus has an embassy in Tehran.
• Iran has an embassy in Nicosia.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 June 1925.[250] Czech firms mainly export machinery products, electrical goods, and other products to Iran while the bulk of imports from Iran consists of fruit and vegetables (2014).[251]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 3 February 1922 when has been accredited first Persian Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Denmark with residence in Stockholm Mirza Abdol Ghaffar Khan Emad-ol-Molk.[252]

The first Iranian envoy to Denmark arrived in 1691 in order to negotiate the release of the Iranian-owned cargo of a Bengali ship seized by the Danish fleet. The Iranian diplomat had been issued with diplomatic credentials by Suleiman I of Persia (Shah 1666–1694) and opened negotiations with King Christian V of Denmark. He was unable to secure the release of the cargo.

In 1933, a Danish consulate was established in Tehran, and later upgraded to an embassy. Following a state visit in 1958, Iran established an embassy in Copenhagen. The Muhammad cartoons controversy of 2006 saw the Danish embassy to Iran attacked by protesters and the Iranian Ambassador to Denmark called to Tehran, straining political and economic interaction between the two countries.[253]

• Encyclopedia Iranica on Iran-Denmark historical relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 December 1931.[255]

• Finland has an embassy in Tehran.
• Iran has an embassy in Helsinki.

In 2010 an Iranian diplomat stationed in Finland applied for political asylum in that country.[256]

Iran has generally enjoyed a friendly relationship with France since the Middle Ages. The travels of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier are particularly well known to Safavid Persia. Recently, however, relations have soured over Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment and France supporting the referral of Iran to the United Nations Security Council. Under French President Jacques Chirac, relations were warm and friendly as the French government helped the Iranian government to hunt down PMOI terrorists.

Official diplomatic relations between Iran and postwar Germany began in 1952 when Iran opened its first mission office in Bonn. However, Germany and Persia had enjoyed diplomatic relations well back into the 19th century.[257]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 November 1902 when has been appointed first Persian Ambassador to Greece.[258][259]

• Greece has an embassy in Tehran.
• Iran has an embassy in Athens.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 May 1953.[260]

The Holy See and Iran have had formal diplomatic relations since 1953, under the pontificate of Pius XII, which have been maintained even during the most difficult periods of the Islamic revolution.[261]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 February 1976.[263]

Iran has an embassy in Dublin; Ireland closed its embassy in Tehran along with several others due to the severity of the Irish government's financial difficulties on 23 February 2012.[264]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 February 1886 when has been appointed first Charge d'Affaires of Italy to Persia Alessandro De Rege Di Donato.[265]

Iran-Italy trade stood at US$2.7 billion in 2001[266] and €3.852 billion in 2003.[267] In 2005, Italy was Iran's third-largest trading partner, contributing 7.5% of all exports to Iran.[268] Italy was Iran's top European Union trading partner in early 2006.[269] Commercial exchanges hit €6 billion in 2008.[270] Although Italy harbours a large number of members of the MKO, as do many EU states, Italy officially considers the group a terrorist organization.[271] Still, Iran considers Italy one of its "important trade partners" indicated by Italy's "presence in [the] Tehran International Book Fair" and the desire of Italian companies to economically cooperate with Iran.[272]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 January 1883 when Mirza Jawad Khan, Persian Minister in Belgium, was also accredited to the Netherlands.[280][281]

• Iran has an embassy in The Hague.
• Netherlands has an embassy in Tehran.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 14 October 1908.[283]

An Iranian diplomat stationed in Norway was granted political asylum by that country in February 2010.[284] In September 2010, an Iranian diplomat stationed in Belgium also applied for political asylum in Norway.[285]

Following the 2011 attack on the British Embassy in Iran, Norway announced that it has closed its embassy in Tehran due to security concerns, after Britain's mission was stormed. Hilde Steinfeld, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman in Oslo, said the decision to close the embassy was taken late Tuesday, but that Norway's diplomatic staff have not been evacuated from the country. "They're still in Tehran," she said.[286]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 March 1927.[287]

• Iran has an embassy in Warsaw.
• Poland has an embassy in Tehran.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 15 October 1956 when Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Portugal with residence in Ankara, Luís Norton de Mato, presented his credentials as non resident to Iran.[288]

• Iran has an embassy in Lisbon.
• Portugal has an embassy in Tehran.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 July 1902.[289]

Iran has an embassy in Bucharest;[290] Romania has an embassy in Tehran.[291] They exchanged ambassadors for the first time in 1922.

Relations between Russia and Persia (pre-1935 Iran) have a long history, as they officially commenced in 1521 with the Safavids in power. Past and present contact between Russia and Iran has always been complicated and multi-faceted, often wavering between collaboration and rivalry. The two nations have a long history of geographic, economic, and socio-political interaction. Their mutual relations have often been turbulent, and dormant at other times. Since 2019 however, their relationship has drastically improved and Russia and Iran are now strategic allies and form an axis in the Caucasus alongside Armenia. Iran has its embassy in Moscow and consulate generals in the cities of Kazan and Astrakhan. Russia has its embassy in Tehran, and consulate generals in the cities of Rasht and Isfahan. Both also support the Assad government in Syria.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 30 April 1937.[292]

Iran has an embassy in Belgrade; Serbia has an embassy in Tehran. Serbia shares the same Eastern Orthodox heritage with Russia. Historians have stated that it is remotely possible that Serbs historically originated from the early Persian tribes in the Caucasus.[293] Iran has supported Serbia's territorial integrity by not recognizing Kosovo as a state.

• Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about relations with Iran Archived 19 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 March 1842.[296]

• Iran has an embassy in Madrid.
• Spain has an embassy in Tehran.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 4 March 1919 when has been accredited first Persian Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Switzerland Zoka-ed-Dovleh.[297]

Switzerland has had a consulate in Tehran since 1919, raised to the status of embassy in 1936. This embassy represents the interests of the United States in the Iranian capital.

There are agreements between the two countries on air traffic (1954, 1972, and 2004), road and rail transport (1977), export risk guarantees (1966), protection of investments (1998), and double taxation (2002). Iran is one of Switzerland's most important trading partners in the Middle East. A trade agreement was signed in 2005 but has not yet been ratified.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 September 1897 when has been accredited first Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Persia to Sweden with residence in St. Peterbourg Mirza Reza Khan Ar Faed-Doouleh.[298]

• Iran has an embassy in Stockholm.
• Sweden has an embassy in Tehran.

See Iran–Ukraine relations

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 22 January 1992.[299]

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 June 1807 when has been appointed first British Envoy Extraordinary to Persia Sir Harford Jones.[300]

The Herald Tribune reported on 22 January 2006 a rise in British exports to Iran, from £296 million in 2000 to £443.8 million in 2004. A spokesperson for UK Trade and Investment was quoted to say "Iran has become more attractive because it now pursues a more liberal economic policy."[301]

In 2011, the UK together with the United States and Canada, issued sanctions on Iran following controversy over the country's nuclear program. As a result, Iranian government's Guardian Council approved a parliamentary bill expelling the British ambassador. On 29 November 2011, two compounds of the British embassy in Tehran were stormed by Iranian protesters. They smashed windows, ransacked offices, set fire to government documents, and burned a British flag.[302] As part of the UK's response to this incident the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague, announced on 30 November 2011 that the United Kingdom had shut the embassy in Tehran and recalled all diplomatic staff. The Iranian chargé d'affaires in London was simultaneously instructed to immediately close the Iranian embassy in London and given a 48-hour ultimatum for all staff to leave the UK.

On Tuesday 17 June 2014 the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague, announced that the UK embassy would re-open "as soon as practical arrangements are made". On the same day David Cameron, the UK Prime Minister said he is committed to "rebuilding" diplomatic relations with Iran but will proceed with a "clear eye and hard head".[303] The embassy reopened on 23 August 2015.[304]

On Friday 19 July 2019 a British-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Impero, was surrounded and seized by the Iranian Armed Forces at the Strait of Hormuz. The nearly 30,000 tonne tanker and its 23 crew members were surrounded by 4 vessels and 1 helicopter. Many think this was in retaliation of the UK boarding an Iranian Supertanker, the Grace 1, at Gibraltar earlier in July due to suspicions of smuggling oil to Syria. As of today, the tanker has been moved to the port of Bander Abbas and the ship's owners have not been able to contact the tanker. The British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt has said that Iran will suffer serious consequences if the tanker is not released. The British diplomatic effort is being supported by American President Donald Trump and both French and German foreign ministries. UK ships are urged to stay away from the strait and the result of this is an increase in oil prices around the world.

Both countries established diplomatic relations on 21 September 1968.[305]

• Australia has an embassy in Tehran.
• Iran has an embassy in Canberra.

• Iran has an embassy in Wellington.
• New Zealand has an embassy in Tehran.