Iran's "Look East" policy entails more than burgeoning relations with the People's Republic of China, India and the former Soviet republics of Central Eurasia. Crucial to the Islamic Republic's eastward turn are its recent overtures to Indonesia, which include not only diplomatic and economic initiatives but also a cluster of joint military projects. Why Tehran has stepped up its efforts to align with Jakarta can provisionally be explained in terms of recent moves by the Arab Gulf states, most notably the United Arab Emirates, along with Iran's expressed sympathy for Indonesia's long-standing commitment to non-alignment.

This framing paper explores the broader analytical framework and context within which Iranian foreign policy and international relations has steadily tilted eastward; the structural and policy causes of the policy of looking East; and the consequences of the policy, which includes unprecedented levels of close military cooperation with Russia, deep economic and diplomatic relations with China, membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and accession to the BRICS group.

Engaged in a devastating war with Iraq, Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Vilayati paid an official visit to Malaysia in the early 1980s. Isolated internationally, Iran could rely on only a few countries for recognition and partnership. It quickly looked to Malaysia, a post-colonial, neutral and developing nation, under the leadership of upcoming Asian powerhouse, Mahathir Mohamad. Building on relations established during the Pahlavi era, this symbolic visit to the Southeast Asian country revealed Iran’s reliance on smaller nations during times of crisis. While attention has been given to Iran’s relations with more prominent Asian nations such as China, India and Pakistan, Tehran’s diplomatic ties with Malaysia is less known, but offers important insights into Iran’s realist approach to foreign relations. This research seeks to understand the paradoxes in this relationship, which on the surface should not work as well as it does. Malaysia has close relations with the West, Arab countries and most strikingly, has banned Shi’ism as a form of Islamic practise for its citizens. However, ties have remained relatively stable with strong diplomatic relations, open trade, and interest in cultural ties, despite global Shi’i – Sunni tensions and Western pressure. This paper explores the consistencies in bilateral ties and offers a historical perspective to Malaysian Iranian relations while exploring the enduring nature of the political relationship.