Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the Shaping of Iran's Foreign Policy on the Post-October 7, 2023 Palestinian Issue
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55681/armada.v4i9.3972Keywords:
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian Foreign Policy, Palestine, Constructivism, Foreign Policy AnalysisAbstract
Abstract : The escalation of the Israel–Palestine conflict after 7 October 2023 has again positioned Iran as a significant actor in Middle Eastern political dynamics. Previous studies have largely focused on Iran’s foreign policy from geopolitical and security perspectives, while research on the role of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as an individual actor in shaping Iran’s foreign policy toward the Palestinian issue remains limited. This study employs a qualitative approach with library research to analyze Khamenei’s role in the formulation of Iran’s foreign policy toward Palestine after 7 October 2023. The analysis applies Constructivism as the grand theory and Foreign Policy Analysis, particularly James Rosenau’s idiosyncratic variable, as the analytical framework. The findings indicate that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei plays a central role in shaping Iran’s foreign policy orientation through the construction of an Islamic-revolutionary identity and individual characteristics that influence his perceptions of Palestine, Israel, and the United States. This orientation is manifested in consistent support for Palestine and a strategy that combines ideological commitment with strategic calculation. This study contributes to International Relations scholarship by demonstrating that ideological identity and the individual characteristics of leaders influence the formulation of Iran’s foreign policy toward the Palestinian issue.
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