During the last decade, Central Asia and Afghanistan, with a population of about 95 million people, have become increasingly important in the international system. This importance has been in various areas, including geopolitics (crossroad of regional and extra-regional powers), geostrategic, geo-economics (huge energy resources, especially the oil and gas of the Caspian basin), and geo-culture (especially in the framework of Huntington's Clash of Civilizations Theory). In the meantime, the presence of China and India as emerging economic powers as well as the growth of extremism in the region has increased the importance of Central Asia and Afghanistan in recent years.

This important geopolitical situation, along with the transit capacities, huge energy and mineral reserves, the neighborhood with emerging powers such as Russia, China, India, and Iran, and the rise of extremism, has caused major regional and extra-regional powers to pay attention to Central Asia and Afghanistan. Currently, these powers are engaged in an increasing competition to develop their influence as well as manage political, security, economic and transit processes in this region. Developments in Central Asia and Afghanistan have had and will have a direct and deep impact on the interests and national security of the regional countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran.

For these reasons, a group of experts interested in the developments in Central Asia and Afghanistan established the Institute of East Strategic Studies (IESS or Eastern Studies) in Mashhad, Iran, in 2013.
Due to the position and importance of Razavi Khorasan province in the development of political, economic, and cultural relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the countries of the region, the office of IESS has been established in Mashhad, the capital of Razavi Khorasan province. With more than 1800 kilometers of common border with Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, and five international border crossings, along with a comprehensive and advanced system of air, rail and road transportation, this province is considered one of the important transit centers in the region.

The aim of IESS is to analyze the developments in Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan impartially and independently.
IESS is the only Iranian study institute that studies the developments of Afghanistan, Central Asia and Pakistan in a specialized manner.