This article explores Iran’s participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through the lens of cultural infrastructure and geopolitical power. Departing from conventional analyses centred on economic corridors and transport logistics, it investigates how Tehran mobilises cultural diplomacy, heritage architecture, and youth-oriented strategies to recalibrate its geopolitical standing. Based on a critical reading of academic literature, official discourses, and policy frameworks, the study identifies three interconnected domains: institutional arrangements underpinning soft power cooperation; the spatial-material role of architecture and cultural legacy; and the divergent interpretations of BRI narratives among younger Iranian populations. The article contends that Iran’s engagement with the BRI extends beyond tangible connectivity, constituting a contested space of symbolic exchange, power asymmetries, and identity negotiation. While cultural initiatives offer Tehran alternative channels to escape isolation and enhance regional influence, they also expose structural imbalances and ideological frictions within the Iran–China relationship. In this context, the paper questions whether infrastructures can contribute to Iran’s geopolitical repositioning or whether they risk reinforcing patterns of dependency.
La Belt and Road Initiative e l’Iran: connessioni culturali, economiche e sfide strategiche
Guido Capanna Pisce'
2025
Abstract
This article explores Iran’s participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through the lens of cultural infrastructure and geopolitical power. Departing from conventional analyses centred on economic corridors and transport logistics, it investigates how Tehran mobilises cultural diplomacy, heritage architecture, and youth-oriented strategies to recalibrate its geopolitical standing. Based on a critical reading of academic literature, official discourses, and policy frameworks, the study identifies three interconnected domains: institutional arrangements underpinning soft power cooperation; the spatial-material role of architecture and cultural legacy; and the divergent interpretations of BRI narratives among younger Iranian populations. The article contends that Iran’s engagement with the BRI extends beyond tangible connectivity, constituting a contested space of symbolic exchange, power asymmetries, and identity negotiation. While cultural initiatives offer Tehran alternative channels to escape isolation and enhance regional influence, they also expose structural imbalances and ideological frictions within the Iran–China relationship. In this context, the paper questions whether infrastructures can contribute to Iran’s geopolitical repositioning or whether they risk reinforcing patterns of dependency.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
