The structural transformation of the international system over the past two decades has gradually reshaped the material and normative foundations of power. The ongoing decentralization away from the West and the growing role of Asian actors in shaping the global economy, international governance norms, and technological networks are among the most visible signs of this shift. Consequently, the concept of the “East” is no longer merely a geographical direction; rather, it emerges as a civilizational and strategic domain endowed with new epistemic, economic, and institutional capacities. Within this context, Iran’s Look to the East policy can be understood as part of a broader process of strategic adaptation to the emerging Asian order — an order in which both the distribution of power and the distribution of meaning diverge from the Western-centric model, and diverse patterns of intra-Asian development and cooperation replace the exclusive centrality of the West.
From a theoretical standpoint, Asianization signifies the gradual shift in the global system’s geopolitical and geoeconomic center of gravity toward Asia. This shift is not the result of a single political decision, but rather the outcome of three simultaneous historical trends: first, the saturation of growth capacities in the Western capitalist system and its resulting need for Asian markets and labor; second, the technological and infrastructural rise of emerging powers in the East; and third, the emergence of non-Western discourses on development, governance, and political legitimacy. As a result, Asia has transformed from an object of global politics into one of its principal sources of definition. In this setting, Iran — strategically situated between West Asia, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent — is compelled to recalibrate its role within a framework in which agency is increasingly centered in the East.
Analytically, the Look to the East strategy may be viewed as Iran’s systematic response to three key constraints: structural constraints in the international system arising from the concentration of power in the West; environmental constraints in West Asia driven by insecurity and regional rivalries; and institutional constraints rooted in the Western dominance of global economic structures. Iran’s response to these constraints has not taken the form of isolationism, but rather the expansion of diversified linkages with Asian actors. In this sense, the Look to the East policy reflects the logical continuation of the Islamic Republic’s doctrine of political independence, aimed at creating a form of intra-systemic balancing through deeper engagement with new centers of power.
At the conceptual level, the Look to the East approach requires a redefinition of the very notion of the “East” within the broader process of Asianization. In this understanding, the East is not constructed as the “other” vis-à-vis the West, but as a network of economic, technological, and cultural relations grounded in the principles of coexistence and mutual independence. This reconceptualization elevates the Look to the East policy from a mere political orientation to a structural strategy. Within this framework, Iran’s objective is not merely to change its economic partners; rather, it seeks to reconstruct its position within the orbit of Asian power — an orbit in which economic cooperation with China, technological engagement with India, and security collaboration with Russia constitute complementary components of a broader strategic logic.
Historically, Iran’s orientation toward the East has precedents that go beyond contemporary developments. The tradition of eastern policy in Iran has rested upon two pillars: territorial continuity with Asian geopolitical structures and epistemic continuity with the East’s justice-centered discourse. These elements have taken different forms across various historical periods from the 19th-century policy of “negative equilibrium” to the post-revolutionary doctrine of “neither East nor West.” Yet, their overall direction has consistently aimed at preserving autonomous decision-making in the face of global power monopolies. Accordingly, the current Look to the East orientation may be viewed as the logical extension of this historical tradition, now reproduced through contemporary Asian dynamics.
From the perspective of international relations theory, Iran’s Asianization strategy can be interpreted through the lenses of structural neorealism and defensive realism. As global power balances shift, a rational actor seeking survival and stability turns toward coalition-building with aligned powers in neighboring regions. At the same time, this behavior involves constructivist dimensions: the Look to the East strategy is linked not only to the material logic of power balancing but also to the redefinition of Iran’s international identity. This identity is grounded in independence, justice, and resistance to domination values that resonate within emerging Asian discourses. In other words, Asianization for Iran is simultaneously a material strategy and a rearticulation of political identity at the international level.
The continuation and deepening of Asianization require an understanding of the web of mutual interdependencies between Iran and other Asian powers. Iran positions itself in its eastern engagements not as a subordinate actor, but as an agent capable of generating regional meaning and order. This self-understanding aligns with Asia’s multilateral logic a logic that emphasizes relative autonomy and balanced distribution of benefits in contrast to Western hegemonic structures. Within this framework, Iran’s membership in institutions such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization or BRICS should be viewed not simply as diplomatic events, but as markers of Iran’s integration into the emerging Asian power network.
The overall outcome of these trends is that the Look to the East policy, in the context of Asianization, constitutes part of the broader process of global order recalibration. Through this policy, the Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to consolidate its position as a status quo power within the evolving Asian order — an order founded on multi-centricity, coexistence, and the rejection of Western exclusivity. In this sense, the Look to the East approach is not a negation of the West, but a redefinition of Iran’s relationship with global power structures on the basis of its independent interests and identity. Thus, Asianization represents not merely a reaction to international crises, but a gradual transition in Iran’s foreign policy toward a higher level of strategic self-awareness one in which the East becomes the central arena for the pursuit of independence and balance.
Sajjad Attazade at the Center for Political and International Studies
(Responsibility for the content of this article rests with the author and does not reflect the views of the Center for Political and International Studies.)