Strengthening Ethiopia’s diplomatic presence in Iran and launching a Joint Economic Commission between the two countries, expanding visits and increasing cooperation in new areas, can make relations multidimensional and deeper.
Samyar Rostami
After the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, Iran, by prioritizing relations with African and non-aligned countries, especially Ethiopia, pursued a policy of developing economic and political relations and holding meetings of the Joint Economic Commission.
During the presidency of Ebrahim Raisi, military cooperation between the two countries reached its peak. Iran provided its drones and military aid to the Ethiopian government during the Tigray War.
Political and Diplomatic Opportunities
Iran’s relations with Ethiopia have been important in recent years due to the country’s geopolitical location in the Horn of Africa and its proximity to the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb, as well as its status as the host of the African Union headquarters.
Growing cooperation between Iran and Ethiopia in the context of expanding as new members of the BRICS bloc could balance Western influence and create a multipolar world order
Iran sees its presence in Addis Ababa as a means of strengthening bilateral relations, regional ties, South-South cooperation, and cooperation with African institutions. Therefore, using Ethiopia’s potential as a gateway to Africa is part of Iran’s long-term strategy on the continent.
On another level, many in Tehran believe that BRICS has the potential to become a major player in the security and geopolitical arena and challenge Western-dominated systems. Therefore, growing cooperation between Iran and Ethiopia in the context of expanding as new members of the BRICS bloc could balance Western influence and create a multipolar world order.
The meeting and negotiations between President Pezeshkian and the Ethiopian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, were a kind of Tehran’s commitment and readiness to pursue the process of further development and expansion of relations between the two countries.
Despite the political and security challenges in the region, the Iranian embassy has taken steps to strengthen cooperation. Also, Tehran’s position in recent years has been based on the principles of supporting the unity and territorial integrity of countries and mutual respect.
In the past year, developments and meetings among officials have also reflected Tehran’s greater and multidimensional attention to Ethiopia. Apart from strengthening the Iranian embassy, Tehran sees Ethiopia’s greater diplomatic presence in Tehran as a means of developing multifaceted relations.
At the beginning of 2025, during a meeting with the Iranian ambassador to Ethiopia, various issues of interest and ways to expand political and economic relations between the two countries were discussed.
The official visit of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf to Ethiopia to strengthen bilateral cooperation in economic, political, and cultural fields, as well as parliamentary relations between the two countries, is the first high-level visit from Iran in the past four decades.
With the visit of the Iranian Chief of Police to Ethiopia in May 2025, Ethiopia and Iran formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that created a new layer of security and intelligence cooperation, information exchange, and counterterrorism efforts between the two countries. In fact, the new Iran-Ethiopia security pact is a crucial step in Tehran’s broader strategy to strengthen relations in Africa, confront US unilateralism, gain a strategic foothold in the Horn of Africa, and seek new allies.
Iran and Ethiopia can cooperate effectively within the framework of other international organizations and multilateralism. A possible conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia could put China, Russia, and Iran in a special position. On October 28, Ethiopia called for international mediation to find a “peaceful solution” with Eritrea that would guarantee Ethiopia’s access to the sea. “The issue can be resolved peacefully.” Meanwhile, Tehran’s shared relations with the businessmen involved could provide an opportunity for mediation and a peacemaking role.
Economic and cultural context
Last spring, Hassan Mohammad Maalin, Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Industry, arrived in Tehran for the third Iran-Africa Economic Summit and the Iran Export Capabilities Exhibition (Iran Expo). He called for Iran’s participation in the construction of a urea plant in Ethiopia. Therefore, Ethiopia could meet some of Iran’s needs, and Iran, in turn, could meet Ethiopia’s needs in petroleum products and technical and engineering services.
Recently, Iran’s ambassador to Addis Ababa met with Ethiopia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and stressed the need to further strengthen economic cooperation. Iran’s presence in Addis Ababa could be an opportunity to develop trade with emerging economies, open new markets, new technologies, clean energy, human resource training, sign new trade agreements, and foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa.
In fact, Ethiopia has ambitious goals of building more than 100 dams in different regions, becoming the largest electricity producer in Africa. Ethiopia’s high capacity in the field of agriculture and renewable energy, especially hydroelectric power, agricultural and livestock products, and extraterritorial crops, could be a prelude to increasing economic cooperation between the two countries.
Iran’s attention to its abundant economic capacities, especially in the mining sector, its large population of 123 million, and Ethiopia’s urgent need for medicine and medical services, could provide many investment opportunities.
Joint membership in BRICS has also provided many economic and trade opportunities for further cooperation, and with proper planning, it has also benefited from the capabilities of the two countries in the field of tourism and multidimensional trade.
In recent years, Iran has made investments in the fields of education, health, and infrastructure in Ethiopia. Iran has tried to strengthen cultural relations between the two countries through approaches such as granting scholarships and accepting Ethiopian students and broader activities.
Challenges of Cooperation
The challenges of Iran-Ethiopia relations are a combination of general policies, international pressures, regional competition, and domestic problems. Ethiopia’s domestic problems and numerous ethnic crises further limit the possibility of developing relations with Iran.
Apart from less attention to the position of Africa in Iran’s foreign policy, economic sanctions and banking problems, problems with taxation, currency, banking relations, and maritime and air transport, and political instability in some countries in the Horn of Africa pose a threat to Iran’s relations with Ethiopia.
Despite the activation of the Deputy Economic Diplomacy of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the inactivity of the Joint Economic Commission of the two countries, and the lack of proper air communication between Tehran and Addis Ababa are obstacles to the development of relations.
Outlook
Despite several challenges, including geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical rivalries in the Horn of Africa, further development of relations as security and strategic partners depends on the ability of Ethiopia and Iran.
Certainly, greater engagement between Iran and Ethiopia can promote a multipolar world order. Iran-Ethiopia relations have a high potential for development. Strengthening Ethiopia’s diplomatic presence in Iran and launching a Joint Economic Commission between the two countries, expanding visits and increasing cooperation in new areas, expanding air services, strengthening existing cooperation mechanisms, the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), and regular political consultations can make relations multidimensional and deeper.
Samyar Rostami, а political observer and senior researcher in international relations
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