Central Asia holds strategic significance for Iran for several reasons. Tajik expert Qosim Bekmuhammad notes that Central Asia’s location in the heart of the Eurasian continent, its direct proximity to key Iranian partners such as Russia and China, its vast natural resources, and its position along major international transport routes make the region highly attractive to Tehran.
Furthermore, given the recent developments in the Middle East and the deteriorating domestic situation in Afghanistan, peace and stability in Central Asia are becoming increasingly important for Iran.
Iran’s participation in regional organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS strengthens its sovereignty, reduces dependency, and provides an opportunity to mitigate the impact of U.S. and Western sanctions.
Under the administration of Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s foreign relations were shaped by three key principles: 1) balanced foreign policy – prioritizing relations with neighboring countries, based on the "Look to the East" approach; 2) dynamic diplomacy – focusing on active economic diplomacy; and 3) pragmatic engagement – expanding cooperation with all countries worldwide.
These three key principles remain relevant under Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iran’s Central Asia strategy
Iran's Central Asia strategy is built upon the first two principles – a balanced foreign policy due to the region’s geographical proximity and dynamic diplomacy, which aims at strengthening economic ties with Central Asian states.
However, unlike some other global players, Iran has not formalized this strategy in a separate policy document outlining its key objectives in Central Asia. Despite this, Iran has always been a significant regional player for several reasons.
Currently, two main factors influence Iran’s expansion of relations with Central Asian countries:
1. Western Sanctions and Containment Policies — The West closely monitors Iran’s cooperation with Central Asian states. During meetings with Central Asian political elites, Western representatives subtly or openly suggest that engaging too actively with Iran could harm their relations with Western nations. As a result, for over three decades, Iran’s relations with Central Asian nations have remained limited and have not seen major breakthroughs. Due to these geopolitical risks, Iran has not been able to launch its own regional cooperation format, similar to "5+1" (five Central Asian nations plus Iran). Without these restrictions, Iran, leveraging its historical and cultural influence and its advancements in science, education, technology, economics, and medicine, could have played a much more significant role in Central Asia.
Nevertheless, many Central Asian countries states recognize that cooperation with Iran provides them with alternative geopolitical and economic opportunities, particularly as Iran serves as an important transit route for goods reaching global markets.
2. Iran’s Consideration of Russian and Chinese Interests — For decades, Central Asia has been one of the few regions where Iran has respected Russia’s strategic interests and does not view China’s growing influence as a threat to its own ambitions. In other words, the strong presence of Russia and China in the region makes Central Asia more predictable and secure for Iran. Tehran believes that if Russia and China maintain their influence, Iran’s core interests in the region will not face serious threats. Moreover, this means that Iran’s adversaries will be less able to use Central Asia as a base for destabilizing activities against Iran.
Although Iran’s strategy in the region may evolve, it currently remains unchanged. In general, Iran opposes the expansion of U.S., Israeli, and Western influence in Central Asia, as it fears that regional resources and networks could be used against Tehran.
While trade turnover between Iran and Central Asia’s nations is steadily growing, the 2024 trade volume between Iran and the five Central Asian states remains far below its potential and significantly lower than the trade volumes of China and Russia with the region.
The significance of Central Asia for Iran
The importance of Central Asia for Iran is determined by several key factors.
First, the shared border with Turkmenistan makes the region a natural extension of Iran’s strategic depth. Based on this perspective, Central Asia is considered an area of vital interest for Iran.
Iranian analysts often argue that Tehran has historically been too focused on developments in Western Asia and, as a result, has missed significant opportunities in the East. Thus, Iran benefits from the stability, security, and economic prosperity of Central Asia, which in turn strengthens its own national economy.
Second, during the early years of diplomatic relations, Iran emphasized civilizational and religious ties, which placed ideological policies at the forefront of its regional approach. Over the past four decades, both Iran’s adversaries and its partners have often accused Tehran of pursuing ideological expansion in Central Asia.
However, the experience of Central Asian countries in dealing with Iran and other external actors that prioritized ideology shows that such an approach is unsustainable without a solid trade and economic foundation.
Recognizing this, Iran's modern Central Asia strategy focuses on expanding trade turnover and leveraging economic potential to establish long-term partnerships rather than relying on ideological influence.
Third, Iran and the Central Asian countries share a strong mutual interest in each other’s geographic location and transit potential.
For Central Asian states, two alternative southern trade routes are being developed: 1) through Iran’s Chabahar port; and 2) through Pakistan’s Gwadar and Karachi ports
Iran is actively promoting transportation cooperation and the use of Chabahar by Central Asian countries. One key infrastructure project in this regard is the Chabahar-Zahedan railway, which is expected to be completed by Navrouz (March) 2026.
Once finished, this railway will connect Central Asia to Iran’s Chabahar port, enabling seamless cargo transportation in both directions. This development is expected to provide a strong boost to Iran’s economic relations with Central Asian states.
Both Iran and Central Asia have a mutual interest in strengthening cooperation and deepening ties to ensure sustainable economic growth and regional prosperity, Bekmuhammad concludes.
