ABSTRACT
In an interview given to the German newspaper Der Spiegel in 1974, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi claimed that the concept of "Muslim solidarity" should not be taken too seriously. The idea of forming a federation between Iran and Pakistan was probably first raised in 1958 by the then Pakistani president, Iskander Mirza. Iran's foreign policy after the revolution did, however, manifest a preference to strengthening its standing and influence among Shi'i Muslims, who are meant to serve as the standard-bearers of the Islamic Revolution. This is apparent in Iran's special relationship with Hizbollah in Lebanon and the Shi'i movements in Iraq. The religious and cultural identity components were clearly evident in shaping Iran's foreign policy, but they were used, at best, as a cover for a political strategic struggle between Iran and the Arab world. The Islamic Republic employed a similar combination of different aspects of Iranian identity for the purpose of realizing its political interests.
