Iran's trust in China and Russia : an analysis of Iranian media discourse in the wake of UNSC Resolution 1737 (2006)

Abstract

The aim of my thesis is to study the nature of the Islamic Republic’s relations with China and Russia. In order to shed light on this topic, I analyse a selection of texts published in the four Iranian newspapers Iran, Kayhan, Etemad-e Melli, and Kargozaran in the wake of the Chinese and Russian backing of UNSC (United Nations Security Council) Resolution 1737 (2006), which imposed sanctions on Iran for its failure to halt its uranium enrichment programme. My research question is: To what degree did leading Iranian newspapers portray China and Russia as responsible for the implementation of the resolution? By analysing responsibility, I seek to assess Iran’s trust in Russia and China, which is a precondition for the development of closer cooperation between these states. A certain degree of trust is a minimum requirement in every alliance and the issue of ‘trust’ and ‘mistrust’ has gained increasing interest in the literature of international relations. Methodically, I draw on constructionist theories, and specifically the so-called ‘Danish School of International Relations’, associated with scholars such as Ole Wæver, Henrik Larsen and Lene Hansen, who apply discourse analysis in the study of foreign policy.

Conclusively, it seems as Iran, in this case reflected by the four Iranian newspapers, has little trust in Russia and China. It seems as an alliance between Iran on the one hand, and Russia and China on the other, is not likely to develop in the nearest future, because it takes time to build a trustworthy relationship.