After boosting its relations with Arab countries like Syria and Iraq, and with groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, Iran is currently seeking political and economic cooperation with a number of other states - like Venezuela, Sudan and Cuba - as part of a series of calculated foreign policy moves aimed at exacerbating an already tense stand-off with the Bush administration over its nuclear program, according to an article on The Guardian.
"Iran wants to bolster its position by allying itself with countries or groups that can temporarily enhance its regional role and influence," says Sami Moubayed, a Syrian political analyst.
High-level meetings have been held in recent weeks with several Arab and Muslim states. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hamid-Reza Asfi, recently said that Tehran has intensified its "diplomatic activity to explain the situation to other countries." |