Crisis Studies of the Islamic World

Crisis Studies of the Islamic World

The Critical Analysis of Iran’s Foreign Policy Based on Rational Choice Model ; the Case Study of JCPOA

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Associate Professor, Department of Asian Studies, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The issue of the JCPOA as a 20-year challenge in Iran’s foreign policy  represents the complexities of the country’s decision-making system. Over the past four decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran as a regional actor has faced numerous global issues. The decision-making system in Iran is more complex than other political systems due to the existence of various institutions and its influence on domestic and international conditions. The challenge of the JCPOA especially in its interaction with major global powers has added to these complexities and has had an impact on Iran’s domestic decision-making. The internal and external decision-making processes of the JCPOA in the face of major powers in the international system and semantic conflicts at decision-making levels have added to the complexities of the issue. In this article, the author seeks to answer the main question of how and under what circumstances are Iran’s foreign policy decisions in the JCPOA formed. To answer based on rational choice theory it seeks to analyze the structure of Iranian foreign policy decision-making on the issue of the JCPOA with respect to official and unofficial actors. In addition to the level of decision-making, domestic and international factors influencing Iranian foreign policy decision-making are mentioned, and finally a conceptual model of Iranian foreign policy on the JCPOA is presented.
Keywords

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Volume 12, Issue 2 - Serial Number 37
Summer Quarterly
Summer 2025

  • Receive Date 15 November 2024
  • Revise Date 17 January 2025
  • Accept Date 13 March 2025