This memorandum discusses the evolution of Soviet policy toward Iran during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, 1941-78, in the context of the changes in the international system in general, and within the setting of changing US-Iranian and Soviet-Iranian relations in particular. An attempt is made to analyze the changes in Soviet policy toward Iran from the perspective of a small nation (Iran) located directly below the Soviet Union, and the overall impact of the effect of that geopolitical reality on Iran's foreign relations with Moscow and Washington. (Author).

This study examines the changes in Soviet foreign policy that Mikhail Gorbachev has introduced as "new thinking." In particular, it considers the application of new thinking to the Middle East, distinguishing between continuity and change, and, particularly, the tactical as distinct from the essential nature of this change. The analysis focuses on the Arab-Israeli conflict, the role of the Palestinians, and Soviet-Syrian relations. It also discusses the evolution of the Soviet position on the Iran-Iraq war and the Soviet Union's relations with the Persian Gulf states. The author concludes that the Soviets have not entirely abandoned their interests in the Middle East, but have adopted a more flexible stance that fits in with the new thinking.

For more than three decades, the Soviet Union was a major force in the Middle East, and superpower rivalry exacerbated many of the conflicts endemic to the region. The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union have fundamentally altered the rules of the game in Middle East politics, producing a new fluidity in the region, new diplomatic alignments, and new opportunities for peace. The contributors place recent developments in historical and political context, analyzing changes in Soviet Middle East policy under Gorbachev as well as evaluating developments since the demise of the Soviet Union. The evolution of Moscow's policy toward the Arab states, Israel, the P.L.O., and the U.N. is given special attention. The contributors also examine the emergence of Islamic fundamentalism in the new states of Central Asia and weigh the potential implications of this development for the Middle East. In addition, they discuss security issues related to the transfer of military technology from former Soviet republics to the countries of the Middle East.