Iran’s Foreign Policy Under US Economic Sanctions: Fostering Strategic Relations with China in a Multiplex World Order

Economic sanctions have been a key instrument of US imperialism, particularly against actors deemed threats to the liberal international order. Since 1979, Iran has been a central target, with pressure escalating under Trump’s first administration after the US withdrew from the nuclear deal. Nevertheless, instead of yielding, Iran redirected its foreign policy, seeking alliances with other great powers—notably Russia and China—to counter sanctions. While much of the literature focuses on the (in)effectiveness of sanctions from a US perspective, this article centers on Iran’s protagonism as a regional middle power. It examines Iran’s ‘Look East’ foreign policy, focusing on its strengthening relations with China, the rapprochement with Saudi Arabia, and its recent inclusion in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). The article’s main argument is that Iran’s rapprochement with China has not occurred despite US economic sanctions, but because of them. Drawing on the concept of multiplex world order, and based on primary and secondary data, the article analyzes how Iran’s responses to sanctions reflect and contribute to changing dynamics of regional and global order. It concludes that, instead of isolating Iran, US sanctions have encouraged its diversification strategies, revealing the limits of US imperialist domination.