Foreign Policy and Economic Development: Iran under Rafsanjani

This article explores the impact of iran's foreign policy on economic development since the end of the iran-iraq war. the main question discussed in this article is how foreign policy may affect economic development in the islamic republic of iran. as a case study the foreign policy of the islamic republic during ayatollah akbar hashemi rafsanjani’s presidency will be examined. to answer the main question, conceptual framework of development-orientated foreign policy, along with two examples, i.e. china and nigeria, will be introduced. the hypothesis of the article is that with a more realistic and pragmatist foreign policy, more opportunities for success in economic development are created. the article argues that in the era of globalization, economic development of a country hinges on foreign relations with major economies and cooperation with international institutions and organizations, especially economic entities. accordingly, if a country adopts a developmental approach in foreign policy, it should accept the existing international order, along with its components.