Relationship dossier
Bolivia
Iran
Relationship assessment
Bolivia and Iran built political and economic ties, with a defense and security cooperation memorandum signed in 2023.
Bolivia toward Iran
+40Under Evo Morales, Bolivia pursued closer ties with Iran and signed agreements covering economic and industrial cooperation. In 2023, Bolivia signed a memorandum with Iran on defense and security cooperation; its implementation is unclear.
Iran toward Bolivia
+40Iran pursued political and economic cooperation with Bolivia, including agreements on economic and industrial projects during the period of closer ties under Evo Morales. In 2023, Iran signed a memorandum with Bolivia on defense and security cooperation; its practical scope is unclear.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has included sustained political engagement and bilateral cooperation agreements, culminating in a 2023 defense and security memorandum. The scale and implementation of economic projects and the newer security cooperation remain uncertain, limiting evidence for a deeper partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Bolivia and Iran developed closer government ties under President Evo Morales, including political engagement and agreements on economic and industrial cooperation. The relationship also included a 2023 memorandum on defense and security cooperation. The breadth and implementation of these arrangements are unclear, so the relationship is best characterized as moderately cooperative rather than a close, comprehensive partnership.
Key developments
Bolivia and Iran expanded bilateral engagement under Evo Morales and concluded agreements concerning economic and industrial cooperation.
Bolivia and Iran signed a memorandum on defense and security cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which economic and industrial cooperation agreements were implemented is unclear.
- The scope and practical implementation of the 2023 defense and security cooperation memorandum are unclear.
- The extent of bilateral cooperation under later Bolivian administrations is unclear.