A B S T R A C T
Iran, owing to its location at the intersection of regional and international communication corridors, enjoys a prominent geopolitical position that enables it to play a key role in global transportation and transit networks. However, recent developments in the architecture of international corridors indicate that geographical position alone does not determine whether a country can realize its geopolitical potential. Accordingly, by distinguishing between “geographical position” and “geopolitical functionality,” this study examines how Iran’s communication position can be leveraged through territorial governance. The study adopts a qualitative analytical approach based on documentary research and analyzes the content of national policy documents, scholarly sources, and credible domestic and international reports. The findings indicate that, despite Iran’s considerable geopolitical, infrastructural, geo-economic, and communication capacities, weaknesses in territorial governance, institutional and policy incoherence, infrastructural constraints, international sanctions, and intensifying regional competition have hindered the translation of the country’s geographical position and communication capacities into tangible geopolitical functionality. In this context, territorial governance serves as a mechanism for linking geographical position and communication capacities to geopolitical functionality, playing a fundamental role in organizing, coordinating, and activating these capacities. The findings demonstrate that activating Iran’s communication position requires moving beyond an infrastructure-oriented perspective toward an integrated approach based on territorial governance, institutional coordination, strategic alignment, and transit diplomacy. Implementing this approach could not only enhance Iran’s position within regional and global corridor networks but also strengthen the link between its geographical capacities and strategic objectives, thereby contributing to the realization of the objectives of the Islamic-Iranian Model of Progress.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Geographical location constitutes a key determinant of countries’ geopolitical capacities. However, possessing a favorable location alone does not guarantee an effective role in regional and international relations. The geopolitical significance of a location becomes evident when its potential capacities are realized through communication flows, economic exchanges, political interactions, and strategic relations. From this perspective, distinguishing among geographical location, geopolitical capacity, and geopolitical functionality is important for explaining how spatial advantages can be translated into instruments of influence in international relations. Geographical location refers to a country’s spatial position; geopolitical capacity denotes the potential capabilities arising from this position; and geopolitical functionality emerges when these capabilities are practically manifested in power relations and political-spatial interactions.
Iran enjoys a prominent communication position at both regional and extra-regional scales because it is situated at the intersection of major geopolitical and economic regions. Its proximity to Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent, and the Mediterranean region, together with its access to open waters and its road, rail, maritime, and air transport networks, creates opportunities for transporting goods, energy, and passengers among various regions. The International North–South Transport Corridor, East–West communication routes, Chabahar Port, and other strategic ports constitute capacities that could strengthen Iran’s position within transit networks. Furthermore, Iran’s economic, industrial, energy, and commercial capacities, when connected to communication networks, could facilitate broader regional cooperation and enhance Iran’s competitive advantages.
Despite these capacities, recent developments in the architecture of international corridors indicate that competition over communication routes is not determined solely by geographical location. The emergence and development of routes such as the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor, the Middle Corridor, communication routes across the Caucasus, and Iraq’s Development Road demonstrate that countries seeking to consolidate their positions in transit networks require not only infrastructure development but also coherent policymaking, institutional coordination, economic diplomacy, and the management of relations with regional and extra-regional actors. Under these circumstances, Iran’s communication position faces both opportunities and constraints, while its effective utilization depends on the organization of domestic capacities and the country’s engagement with its surrounding geopolitical environment.
Previous studies have examined different dimensions of Iran’s communication position. Research on Iran’s geoeconomic position and the North–South and East–West corridors has highlighted its potential to play an essential in regional and global communication networks. Studies of the Persian Gulf–Black Sea corridor and Chabahar Port have also emphasized the effects of infrastructural limitations, sanctions, and geopolitical conditions on the realization of these capacities. In addition, scholarly attention has been paid to the role of corridors in exercising influence and fostering interdependence, as well as to the need for institutional coordination, transit diplomacy, and policy integration.
However, most previous studies have focused on Iran’s geographical position, corridor capacities, or the barriers to utilizing them. The role of territorial governance in translating communication potential into geopolitical functionality has received less attention within an integrated analytical framework. This gap is significant because geographical and infrastructural capacities do not necessarily lead to geopolitical influence in the absence of institutional coordination, policy coherence, and strategic alignment.
Accordingly, this study aims to explain the activation of Iran’s communication position within the framework of territorial governance and addresses the following question: How does territorial governance affect the translation of Iran’s geographical and communication capacities into geopolitical functionality? The central argument is that this transformation is not automatic; rather, it occurs through institutional, policy-related, and managerial mechanisms. By coordinating actors and integrating policies, territorial governance acts as an intermediary in this process.

Methodology
This study adopted a qualitative analytical approach based on documentary research. The data comprised policy documents, official reports, domestic and international scholarly sources, and information related to Iran’s corridors and communication infrastructure. The unit of analysis consisted of the mechanisms through which Iran’s communication position is activated within territorial governance. During the analysis, concepts related to communication position, geopolitical capacities, and governance mechanisms were first examined. The relevant data and materials were then coded under two main categories: “capacities” and “challenges.” In the final stage, the findings were compared with the study’s theoretical assumptions and analyzed according to the conceptual relationship among geographical location, communication capacity, territorial governance, and geopolitical functionality.

Findings and Discussion
The findings indicate that Iran possesses a range of geographical, geopolitical, infrastructural, and economic capacities that could enable it to play a significant role in regional and extra-regional communication networks. Nevertheless, the utilization of these capacities faces constraints that prevent the country’s communication position from being fully translated into geopolitical functionality. The analysis suggests that this situation cannot be explained solely by geographical location or infrastructural deficiencies; rather, it should be understood as the outcome of interactions among domestic capacities, governance quality, and the surrounding geopolitical environment.
The first finding concerns Iran’s geopolitical capacity to function as a communication and transit hub. Its location at the intersection of Asia, Europe, and neighboring regions, its proximity to major economic and political areas, and its access to the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman create opportunities to connect land and maritime routes. The number of neighboring countries and the diversity of surrounding regions expand opportunities for connecting markets and areas. From this perspective, Iran has the potential to facilitate the movement of goods and energy, expand commercial exchanges, and improve connectivity among Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Indian subcontinent, the Persian Gulf, and Europe. However, this location alone does not guarantee Iran’s effective integration into regional and international transport networks, as its strategic significance depends on utilizing existing capacities and attracting and sustaining transit flows.
The second finding concerns transport infrastructure capacities. Road networks, railway lines, seaports, airports, and energy transmission infrastructure constitute the physical foundations of Iran’s role as a regional and international transit hub. The North–South Corridor and East–West routes, together with the capacities of Chabahar Port and the country’s northern and southern ports, could strengthen Iran’s connections with regional and international markets. Furthermore, developing road and rail routes and connecting them to neighboring countries’ networks could increase multimodal transit capacity. However, infrastructure deterioration, capacity constraints along certain routes and at some terminals, discontinuities in communication networks, technical problems, and insufficient investment constrain the effective realization of these advantages. Therefore, infrastructure development is critical, but it contributes to improved geopolitical functionality only when undertaken within a coordinated network connected to international routes.
The third finding concerns Iran’s geoeconomic and commercial capacities. Energy resources, industrial and agricultural production capabilities, and opportunities to expand trade with neighboring countries can enhance demand for transportation and transit services and strengthen the country’s communication role. Integrating production, trade, logistics, and transit routes can not only reduce transaction costs but also create new opportunities for developing regional value chains. Realizing this potential, however, requires coordination among trade and industrial policies, infrastructure development plans, and economic diplomacy. Without such coordination, Iran’s economic and geographical capacities operate in a fragmented manner, limiting their impact on its communication position.
The fourth and most important finding identifies institutional and policy incoherence as a major obstacle to activating Iran’s communication position. Managing transit and corridors requires interaction among institutions responsible for transportation, trade, customs, foreign affairs, security, the economy, and territorial planning. Multiple decision-making centers, fragmented responsibilities, overlapping functions, and the absence of a cross-sectoral coordination mechanism can lead to policy conflicts and delays in project implementation. Moreover, the lack of a comprehensive and consistent strategy for transit and corridor diplomacy reduces the ability to align domestic decisions with regional developments. Consequently, institutional incoherence is not merely an operational problem; it also affects Iran’s ability to define shared interests, build trust among foreign partners, and consolidate its position within communication networks.
The fifth finding concerns infrastructural and technological limitations. Deficiencies in the modernization and development of certain road and railway routes, restricted operational capacity and port equipment, inadequate connections between some routes and international networks, and incompatibilities among information and customs systems increase transit costs and time. These constraints become particularly significant because trading partners and transport companies consider reliability, speed, cost, and continuity of services when selecting routes. Thus, geographical advantage becomes a competitive advantage only when the communication network possesses the technical, operational, and institutional capacity to meet the requirements of international flows.
The sixth finding concerns the effects of international sanctions and financial and diplomatic restrictions. Sanctions make access to capital, technology, and cooperation with some foreign companies and institutions more difficult, potentially constraining the implementation of major transit projects and infrastructure development. These conditions also affect cooperation with certain international partners and undermine their confidence in the continuity of joint projects. Nevertheless, the findings indicate that sanctions should not be regarded as the sole explanation for the limitations affecting Iran’s communication functionality. The effects of external pressures are associated with the quality of domestic management, policy coherence, and the country’s ability to establish regional cooperation mechanisms. In other words, external constraints can exacerbate existing barriers, but the effectiveness of responses to these constraints also depends on a country’s institutional and managerial capacities.
The seventh finding concerns intensifying corridor competition in Iran’s surrounding region. The development of alternative communication routes by Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Central Asian countries, and certain extra-regional actors affects Iran’s opportunities to attract transit flows. The Middle Corridor, routes across the Caucasus, Iraq’s Development Road, communication projects connecting India and Europe, and routes supported by China can each divert some flows of goods and trade to alternative routes. This competition demonstrates that a corridor position is neither fixed nor guaranteed; rather, it is continually redefined through investment, policymaking, international cooperation, and the ability to respond to market requirements. Therefore, Iran needs an active and coordinated strategy for infrastructure development, transit diplomacy, and regional cooperation to maintain and strengthen its position.
At the explanatory level, the study’s main contribution is to formulate the relationship among communication position, potential capacities, and geopolitical functionality within territorial governance. According to this framework, geographical location generates communication capacities, but their activation depends on coordination mechanisms. Through institutional coordination, policy coherence, and strategic alignment, territorial governance creates the conditions to translate potential capacities into operational capabilities. Communication networks and corridors provide the arena in which this process takes place, and their effective utilization can enhance influence, strengthen bargaining power, manage interdependencies, and improve Iran’s regional and international standing.
This finding is consistent with previous studies that highlight both the strategic importance of Iran’s position along international corridors and the constraints limiting its effective utilization. However, by linking capacities with barriers, the present study emphasizes the mediating role of territorial governance. Accordingly, the central issue is not simply possessing a favorable location or overcoming infrastructure deficiencies, but rather how the full range of capacities can be organized and directed within an integrated framework. From this perspective, territorial governance provides a conceptual basis for explaining the relationship among decision-making, institutional coordination, policymaking, and the realization of communication capacities.

Conclusion
This study demonstrates that Iran occupies a prominent geopolitical and communication position at the intersection of regional and international corridors. Nevertheless, this position alone is insufficient to ensure geopolitical functionality. Infrastructural limitations, economic sanctions, and regional competition, together with institutional and policy incoherence, constitute major obstacles to realizing the country’s communication capacities. The principal conclusion is that territorial governance serves as an intermediary mechanism between Iran’s geographical position and communication capacities, on the one hand, and its geopolitical functionality, on the other. The quality of institutional coordination, policy coherence, and strategic alignment affects the extent to which potential capacities are translated into actual functionality. Therefore, the realization of Iran’s communication position requires integrating the development of transportation and transit infrastructure, economic and transit diplomacy, and regional and global cooperation within a coherent framework of territorial governance. Ultimately, transforming Iran into a regional and global communication hub cannot be achieved solely through infrastructure development or expanded foreign relations; it depends on the coordinated activation and effective utilization of territorial capacities. This approach is also related to the objectives of the Document of the Islamic-Iranian Model of Progress.

Funding
There is no funding support.

Authors’ Contribution
All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work...

Conflict of Interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.