Relationship dossier
Iran
Libya
Relationship assessment
Periods of wartime and post-revolutionary cooperation, alongside enduring political sensitivities
Iran toward Libya
+15Iran welcomed Libya's 2011 uprising and engaged with the National Transitional Council, while also opposing foreign military intervention. Iranian policy has supported a political process and Libya's unity, though the extent of practical cooperation with successive Libyan authorities is unclear.
Libya toward Iran
+20Libya under Muammar Gaddafi provided support to Iran during the Iran–Iraq War. The disappearance of Musa al-Sadr in Libya in 1978 became a lasting source of political sensitivity in Iranian-Libyan relations.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship has included concrete cooperation, particularly Libyan support to Iran during the Iran–Iraq War and Iranian engagement with Libya's transitional authorities after 2011. It has also been shaped by the unresolved Musa al-Sadr case and Libya's changing political authorities. These features point to episodic cooperation rather than a consistently close 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
Iran and Libya have had periods of practical cooperation, including Libya's support for Iran during the Iran–Iraq War and later Iranian engagement with Libya's post-2011 transitional authorities. Relations have also been complicated by the unresolved disappearance of Musa al-Sadr in Libya in 1978 and by political upheaval in Libya. The breadth and continuity of bilateral cooperation are uncertain.
Areas of tension
- The unresolved disappearance of Musa al-Sadr in Libya in 1978 remains a political sensitivity for Iran.
Key developments
Libya under Muammar Gaddafi provided support to Iran during the Iran–Iraq War.
Iran welcomed Libya's uprising and engaged with the National Transitional Council, while opposing foreign military intervention.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and duration of Libyan military assistance to Iran during the Iran–Iraq War are unclear.
- The extent of Iranian government cooperation with Libya's successive post-2011 authorities is uncertain.