Relationship dossier
Eritrea
Iran
Relationship assessment
Government-level engagement and cooperation agreements, with the practical scope of ties unclear
Eritrea toward Iran
+15Eritrean leaders have engaged Iran through high-level visits and bilateral cooperation agreements, indicating a willingness to maintain government-level ties. The practical extent of Eritrean cooperation with Iran is unclear.
Iran toward Eritrea
+15Iranian leaders have engaged Eritrea through high-level visits and bilateral cooperation agreements. The extent and implementation of Iran's practical cooperation with Eritrea are unclear.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship is characterized by high-level diplomatic engagement and stated bilateral cooperation, rather than a clearly established close partnership. The practical scope and durability of the arrangements are uncertain.
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
Eritrea and Iran have maintained government-level engagement, including high-level visits and agreements on cooperation. The relationship appears cordial, but its practical scope and durability are unclear, and there is limited basis for judging cooperation beyond diplomatic engagement and stated agreements.
Key developments
High-level engagement between Eritrean and Iranian leaders included a visit by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki to Iran.
Eritrea and Iran announced bilateral cooperation agreements during a period of high-level engagement.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements are unclear.
- The extent of sustained economic or security cooperation is uncertain.