Dr. Noha Nadeem
Researcher in peace and conflict studies
Abstract
This paper examines Iran’s presence in Africa through a Global South lens, aiming to reframe it beyond dominant interpretive frameworks that situate it within the logic of geopolitical rivalry, ideological expansion or the binary of influence versus containment. The paper proceeds from the premise that understanding this presence does not depend solely on its quantitative scale or geographical reach, but also on the conceptual framework through which it is assessed, as well as the applicability of prevailing criteria of agency to contexts shaped by an unequal international structure.
The paper adopts an analytical-interpretive approach grounded in a critical review of the literature and the construction of a conceptual framework informed by global international relations (IR) theory and critiques of international political economy, with the aim of redefining the notions of presence and agency within the Global South context. It finds that Iran’s presence is characterized by a selective and gradual pattern, shaped more by considerations of constraint management and partner diversification under sustained structural pressures than by any comprehensive expansionist project.
The paper further proposes redefining agency as a relative capacity to expand room for maneuver within an unequal international structure through adaptive and relational strategies. In doing so, it contributes to a broader discussion on how the roles of Global South actors in international relations should be analyzed by interrogating and redefining prevailing normative criteria in light of their structural positioning…
