This policy outlook discusses the potential evolution of Turkish-Iranian relations under the administration of Ebrahim Raisi.
On August 5, 2021, conservative Iranian cleric Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in as the Islamic Republic’s eighth president. During his inauguration speech, Raisi said that Iran is ready to extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood to all countries in the region, especially its neighbours. On the day of his inauguration, Raisi also hosted a high-level Turkish delegation led by Mustafa Şentop, the speaker of the Turkish Parliament, in Tehran. This policy outlook discusses the potential evolution of Turkish-Iranian relations under the administration of Ebrahim Raisi. It explores the possibility that the steady and promising mood between the two capitals during the Rouhani era may disappear due to Raisi’s foreign policy vision, together with the current state of regional problems. This pessimistic account of future relations does not necessarily mean that two states will enter a period of hostility. However, several factors that generated strong cooperation between the two sides over the past few years have waned, especially in Iran, with several potential points of tension, including the de-intensified but ongoing civil war in Syria, the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Download the Policy Outlook
