Balkans' Trinity: The Role of the United States in the Relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Balkan Countries

The Balkans, also known as the Balkan peninsula are a geographic area in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea in the east, the Adriatic Sea and the Greek Sea in the west, the Mediterranean Sea in the south, and by the Dinaric Alps and Transylvanian Alps in the north. The Balkans comprise the areas of Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Republic of Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Turkey (the European part). Its total area is 728,000 km2 and the population is about 60, 00,000. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that are extended from central Bulgaria to the eastern region of Serbia. The great importance of this region in terms of geopolitical, geo-economic, and geostrategic issues has resulted in the regional and supra-regional great powers being interested in this part of Europe and they are making efforts to make an influence in the region in a way that enjoy the interests of this area. The Islamic Republic of Iran, due to the history of relations with the Balkans, is trying to make an influence in the region and establish a position for itself. The United States (US) as its traditional rival, however, has made efforts to apply its influence in the countries located in the region and prevent the establishment of relations between the Balkan countries and the Islamic Republic of Iran. At the same time, the US is making use of its prominent foreign policy tool (i.e. sanctions) to avert the Islamic Republic of Iran's influence in the Balkans as well as preventing the cooperation between the Balkans with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thereby, in this book, we discuss the economic, political, and cultural relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the Balkan countries, in addition, we address the effects of U.S. sanctions on the economic, political, and cultural relations of the countries located in this region with the Islamic Republic of Iran.