Introduction This paper is based on the topic of international relations. The focus of the paper is on the Jordanian Islamic movement called Islamic Action Front (IAF); which is an affiliate of the Jordanian Muslim brotherhood movement. The paper looks at the IAF’s relationship with the government of Jordan with special attention to the foreign policy of the IAF. The discussion is based on the tenets of two international theories namely realism and neo realism. It is argued that the IAF’s foreign policy is majorly influenced by its intention to form alliances with other Islamic movements outside Jordan with a view of increasing its popularity and political influence in Jordan and possibly take the leadership of the country to emulate its sister movement (Hamas) of Palestine which was elected into office in 2006. The paper starts with a literature review which constitutes the concepts of international relations theory, realism and neo realism. This is followed by an integration of theory with the foreign policy of the IAF and the challenge facing the IAF and the government of Jordan as well as the future of the IAF in the politics of Jordan. Lastly is a conclusion which highlights the key points of the discussion. Literature Review What is international relations theory? A theory is a set of ideas which provide an explanation for something. Theories act as frameworks for guiding scholars and researchers in their work so as to avoid duplication of ideas or repetition of mistakes made by previous researchers or scholars. In international relations, theories are used to explain the relationships between nations of the world. The theories look at the philosophies which shape the relationships between nations and the key interests of the nations in international relations (Acharya & Buzan 2009). Various theories have different explanations about why, how and to what extent do nations interact. However, the overriding principal in all international relations theories is that nations relate for specific interests. In their relations, nations endeavour to create a win, win situation which is characterized by a symbiotic kind of relationship. The key elements of international relations theory include realism, neo realism, constructivism and globalization (Brown & Ainley 2009). Realism This is a state centered international relations approach which looks at states as the key actors in international politics. The theory is based on the works of historical writers such Rousseau, Machiavelli and Thucydides (Edkins & Vaughan-Williams 2009). The main argument of realism is that international relations are characterized by anarchy, in which nations interact for their selfish interests. Realism therefore negates the mutual understanding of nations in their relations and puts more emphasis on the struggle of nations to amass as much resources as possible in order to advance their own interests. With realism, economic success is the leading interest in international relations (Booth & Smith 1995). Neo realism Neo realism is a reformulation of classical realism. Its key proponent is Kenneth Waltz, who outlined it in a book titled ‘Theory of International Politics’ published in 1979 (Wiktorowicz 2001). For the last decade, the neo realist ap