ABSTRACT
Iranian foreign policy is rooted in a rich Persian history. The Qajar dynasty ruled Persia between 1794–1925 and preceded the last one – the Pahlavi dynasty. Yet before Reza Khan Pahlavi came to power and founded new dynasty, Persia had undergone significant changes and had lost its regional influence. The last shah from the Qajar dynasty, Ahmad Shah Qajar, came to power in 1909. The main element of Reza Shah’s foreign policy strategy was to play the Soviet Union against the United Kingdom. Lack of support from the United States did not prevent the shah from looking for a potential ally who could counterbalance the Soviet-British domination. It was one of the reasons for which Iran, under the rule of Reza Shah, maintained very close relations with the Third Reich. According to Amin Saikal, Reza Shah managed to establish a dictatorial reformist regime which strengthened the internal policies against British and Soviet influence during the first period of his reign.
