Bosnia and Herzegovina i Islamic Republic of Iran they maintain a relationship that goes back deep into the 1990s, when Tehran became a significant arms supplier to the RBiH Army amid a UN embargo.
Today, these ties continue through cultural centers, academic projects and political contacts, but under the watchful eye of the West. And while there is an evocation of Iranian humanitarian aid from the war days, the question remains to what extent these historical threads shape today's reality.
Announcement of military cooperation
The story of Iran's involvement in Bosnia and Herzegovina begins in 1994, when shipments of several thousand tons of weapons left Tehran via Croatian ports for Sarajevo. Peter Galbraith, then American ambassador in Zagreb, in his memoirs Due Diligence describes how the then administration of US President Bill Clinton, instead of sending aid itself, allowed Iran to fill the vacuum, sending a signal to Croatian President Franja Tudjman that there were "no instructions" when asked about the shipments. Units of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard followed the cargo, training fighters and leaving a mark that can still be felt today in the rhetorical reminders of Bosnian officials.
Those deliveries were not only logistical help, but also established a network of trust that is still used today. Zukan Helez, Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, received the Iranian military attaché last year and openly announced:
"We will do everything to strengthen military cooperation," referring to wartime solidarity that "we will never forget."
"The possibility of ending cooperation and imposing sanctions on Helez in case of cooperation with Iran is not ruled out," is the interpretation of the American reaction conveyed by Helez at the time, emphasizing the message that any cooperation with Iran within the framework of the BiH Armed Forces is incompatible with the US-BiH strategic partnership and the Euro-Atlantic path. The quick American reaction - a warning and an apology from Helles for the "misinterpretation" - only confirms that the war episode has not been forgotten.
sarajevo-2597608_1280Sarajevo / Photo: Mirza Causevic/Pixabay
Diplomatic thread
As a "partner and friend", which supports the territorial integrity of BiH, Iran was repeatedly emphasized by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bisera Turković. At a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdolahian in 2022, amid violent protests in Tehran, Turuković emphasized economic opportunities and dialogue, even though political representatives of Bosnian Serbs and Croats boycotted the event over human rights issues.
That approach reflects a broader pattern where Iranian contacts are presented as pragmatic, without deeper reflection on the context in which Tehran operates under sanctions.
Such meetings are not just bilateral gestures - they are taking place at a time when the EU is considering designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization and the US is tightening restrictions. The question is how much such interactions strengthen the perception of BiH as a space where Iran can bypass isolation.
"There are connections through non-governmental organizations that distribute money through extreme organizations. They have branches that go towards Shiite Islam, as well as secularism. So, they are working on several fronts, but everything is based on a religious basis. It is possible that depending on the developments in Iran, there will be an impact in BiH as well", says the director of the Center for International Relations, Miloš Šolaja, who believes that the political current in BiH will still be restrained due to possible American sanctions.
Soft structures
Iran is known to be the main financier of Hamas, an organization classified as terrorist by most EU countries, providing hundreds of millions of dollars a year for weapons, training and operations. That support, which is measured in the hundreds of millions of dollars, allows Hamas to maintain its military infrastructure despite sanctions.
mosque-2597602_1280Photo: Mirza Causevic/Pixabay
By the way, since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 and the conflict in Gaza that followed, several pro-Palestinian demonstrations were organized in BiH, mainly in Sarajevo and areas with a Bosniak majority, with thousands of participants—but without major incidents. The protests were peaceful, focused on solidarity with the Palestinians.
Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency, Denis Bećirović, was one of the loudest critics of Israel in the context of Gaza and the wider conflict, calling it "genocide" and "shame of the world", but also condemning Hamas terrorism and calling for a truce and the provision of humanitarian aid.
Former BiH ambassador to Iran, professor of international relations in Sarajevo, Emir Hadžikadunić, says that the relations between BiH and Iran are mostly limited. First, because there is almost no investment, trade exchange is negligible, and in the political sense, everything comes down to a few bilateral meetings.
"There is no investment, but there is the Iranian Cultural Center, the Persian-Bosnian College, the Mullah Sadra Institute, which is more philosophically, religiously, educationally oriented when it comes to the interpretation of Islam," says Hadžikadunić, emphasizing that any fear in that context is unjustified.
"The Islamic community is Sunni, they are something else entirely. And I don't think the Iranians have ever, like say after the war when we had influence from Salafi circles, where they tried to change Bosnia and Herzegovina's Islam, have any influence. Because there is no fertile ground for that here. I don't see a foothold for that fear," concludes Hadžikadunić.
"Stepping Stone"
The Iranian Cultural Center and the "Ibn Sina" Institute in Sarajevo work side by side with the University, publishing the PIS magazine with Islamic philosophy and scientific works. Unofficially, the ties extend to other organizations, where under the guise of cultural exchange, the Shia narrative is spread in a Sunni environment.
These networks are not static. They evolve from wartime channels of aid to today's platforms of influence, where sentimental attachment turns into long-term relationships.
sarajevo-4505752_1280Photo: Chris Spencer-Payne/Pixabay
Bosnia and Herzegovina strives for EU and NATO integration. However, some contacts create tension with key partners, according to Sholaya. He also believes that Helez's "offside" from last year is not an isolated gaffe, but reflects deep-rooted threads woven by the war years.
"BiH is a springboard for all Islamic currents, especially for Iran," says Miloš Šolaja, claiming that behind all organizations is a highly developed Iranian intelligence service.
"It is quite well organized and active, so Bosnia and Herzegovina is a very suitable environment for further expansion towards Europe. And this service also relies on a stronghold that comes with various waves of refugees, especially Shiites who infiltrate the migrant flows and become stronger," asserts Sholaja.
For Professor Hadžikadunić, things are somewhat different and should, he says, be viewed exclusively in the context of cultural cooperation and without any fear. But Šolaja believes: "Iranian influence in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not only a historical episode - from war supplies to today's cultural networks - but a test for the country's strategic orientation."
Source: Deutsche Welle (DW)
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