Crossroads Asia | Diplomacy | Central Asia

Kazakhstan’s Pragmatic Foreign Policy Faces Uncertainty Amid Attacks Across the Middle East

Since the Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran on February 28, which triggered numerous regional airstrikes, Kazakhstan has scrambled to maintain positive relations across the region.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made an official visit to Astana in December 2025.

As missile and drone strikes began to rain down on the Middle East, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Kazakh government had to think fast. Not only did they need to evacuate citizens, particularly from Gulf states, following the attacks, but they also had to manage Kazakhstan’s relations with the countries involved in the conflict.

Unlike many other states, Kazakhstan has not picked a side in the ongoing conflict. Instead, it maintains good diplomatic relations with Iran, Israel, most Gulf states, and the United States. These relationships prompted Tokayev to take action, calling several leaders of the countries affected by the strikes.

Notably, however, Tokayev has still not expressed direct support for one of the key targets in the conflict, raising questions about how Kazakhstan will continue its pragmatic foreign policy as the conflict continues.

Along with leaders from Azerbaijan, Israel, Jordan, Turkiye, and several Gulf states, Tokayev attended the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on February 19. With a proposal to “establish a special President Trump’s Award of the Board of Peace,” the Kazakh president briefly went viral following the meeting. Whether such flattery would continue today is uncertain, given that Israel and the United States launched a bombing campaign against Iran only nine days later.

In response to the attacks, Iran fired back, not only at Israel and U.S. naval vessels but also at several member states of the Board of Peace, including the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, all of which host U.S. military facilities or assets. Following the attacks, Tokayev contacted the leaders of these countries, as well as Oman, which was also struck by missiles.

The reported content of these conversations appeared largely similar: Tokayev expressed solidarity and support for the affected countries and exchanged Ramadan greetings. A special note of thanks was sent to the Saudi government for assisting in the evacuation of Kazakh citizens, while Tokayev also expressed regret that the Islamic community was failing to demonstrate mutual respect during this period.

However, no such direct support or message of solidarity has been extended by Tokayev to Iran,........

© The Diplomat