Iran’s New Chapter in Cuspness: Linking the Eastern Mediterranean and Asia

ABSTRACT Iran has traditionally presented itself as a cusp state, manoeuvring between different regions. Recently, Iran is attempting to situate itself among the emerging connections between Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean. There are also limitations to Iran’s cuspness, as domestic politics and geopolitical rivalries in the Middle East challenge the country’s efforts to perform this function. This paper analyses (1) Iran’s shifting regional engagements and identity in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean and Asia, (2) the implications of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for Iran’s shifting regional engagements and identity, (3) the limitations Iran faces in this reorientation.