Over the past three decades, both Iran and Vietnam have faced similar economic challenges, such as sanctions, political difficulties, and international pressures. However, their responses to these challenges have involved adopting different foreign policies. While Iran has faced severe economic restrictions due to its confrontational policies toward the international order and the United States, Vietnam, by embracing policies aligned with the global order, has been able to capitalize on the benefits of globalization and emerge as one of the region's most successful economies. These differences raise important questions regarding the impact of foreign policy on economic development. Thus, this study seeks to answer the following question: What role has foreign policy played in the economic development of Iran and Vietnam from 1990 to 2023? The research hypothesis posits that foreign policy between 1990 and 2023 has hindered Iran's economic development while accelerating Vietnam's developmental trajectory. The findings of this study indicate that Iran's foreign policy, particularly in the post-revolutionary era and in response to economic sanctions and diplomatic pressures, has had a negative impact on the country's economic development. In contrast, Vietnam, by adopting policies aligned with the international order, has been able to expand its trade relations and effectively leverage the opportunities of globalization, leading to higher economic growth rates. This research employs a causal-comparative analysis method and utilizes a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationships between variables, applying neoliberal theory to investigate the subject.
bahadori, M. Y., & Dehghani Firoozabadi, S. J. (2026). A Comparative Study of the Impact of Foreign Policy on the Economic Development of Iran and Vietnam from 1990 to 2023. International Political Economy Studies, 8(2), 131-148. doi: 10.22126/ipes.2025.12032.1741
MLA
Mohammad younes bahadori; Seyed Jalal Dehghani Firoozabadi. "A Comparative Study of the Impact of Foreign Policy on the Economic Development of Iran and Vietnam from 1990 to 2023". International Political Economy Studies, 8, 2, 2026, 131-148. doi: 10.22126/ipes.2025.12032.1741
HARVARD
bahadori, M. Y., Dehghani Firoozabadi, S. J. (2026). 'A Comparative Study of the Impact of Foreign Policy on the Economic Development of Iran and Vietnam from 1990 to 2023', International Political Economy Studies, 8(2), pp. 131-148. doi: 10.22126/ipes.2025.12032.1741
VANCOUVER
bahadori, M. Y., Dehghani Firoozabadi, S. J. A Comparative Study of the Impact of Foreign Policy on the Economic Development of Iran and Vietnam from 1990 to 2023. International Political Economy Studies, 2026; 8(2): 131-148. doi: 10.22126/ipes.2025.12032.1741
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