Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic, designed theoretical bases and special principles for its foreign policy approach. Iranian foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran follows suit with Islamic values and ideals.
Imam Khomeini, has expressed his viewpoints about foreign policy, in general, and foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in particular. He maintained that foreign policy should be based on ideology; that is, foreign policy means external policy of Muslim countries in the face of countries which are located beyond borders of the Islamic country.
Following the period of independence which began after victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Of course, geopolitical situation of Iran has been influential in the formulation of its modern foreign policy.
In the heat of struggle for the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation which was inspired by the ideas and theories of the late Imam Khomeini chanted two axial slogans of the revolution, that is, “Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic”, and “No East, No West, Islamic Republic”.
Those principles, which were rooted in religious ideas of Imam Khomeini helped Iran to get out of the closed circle of bipolar world system and move toward new horizons to realize its national dignity, national interests, human rights, as well as mutual respect based on the Islamic teachings.
In fact, that trend set the goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy which aimed to establish an Islamic society based on pure Mohammedan Islam, to oppose Israel and the United States, and to defend all Muslims and liberation movements of the world.
One of the main features of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy was reliance on scientific and narrative fundaments. Since Imam Khomeini was a religious leader with political ideas inspired by Islam, he has delineated principles on the basis of the main sources of Islam, including the Book and Sunna.
Therefore, moral and rational values form the fundaments of the Imam’s foreign policy principles. Of course, it should be noted that Islam and religion cannot be limited to ethics and moral rules.
Stressing on the moral nature of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini says, “The objective of this revolution has been to promote Islam, Islamic ethics, human ethics as well as raising humans on the basis of human criteria.”
Elsewhere he has said, “There is no reason why the Islamic government of Iran should sit at the same table with another government which has no belief in Islam and human ethics.”
It should be noted that the basis for defending the rights of the oppressed as a foreign policy principle lies in Quranic verses.
Imam Khomeini also based his notion for helping the oppressed on this adage of Imam Ali (PBUH) who says, “Help the oppressed and fight the oppressors.”
From his standpoint, to overcome difficulties, we must stand in the face of all powers and export human values from this place to other places in the world. In fact, exporting the revolution was a cultural undertaking.