Since the 1979 revolution, Iranian leaders have persisted in advancing a foreign policy aimed at achieving regional prominence and, in particular, rebuffing U.S. efforts to limit Iran's influence. But how are foreign policy decisions made in light of the country's tumultuous history? How do the challenges posed by regional and global actors impact Iranian decision making? And how can we expect Iran to behave in the future?
This book uses a 'strategic lens' to explain how Iran conducts its current foreign policy and to unpack the dilemmas and strategic quandaries facing the Islamic Republic today. Ross Harrison argues that to understand Iranian behavior it is essential to look at it from the perspective of Iran's strategic interests, namely: its capabilities; how Iran interprets the region, the international community and itself; and the state's conception of time and territory in its foreign policy calculations. Iranian foreign policy - in searching for a winning strategy for power and influence - is revealed to evince ideological strains but also realpolitik considerations based on current interpretations of the national interest. These different strains in Iran's foreign policy represent the complexity of the challenges and opportunities the state faces. They also help us to understand the present and future of Iranian foreign policy behavior.
| ISBN: | 9780755646050 |
| Publication date: | 3rd July 2025 |
| Author: | Ross Harrison |
| Publisher: | I.B. Tauris an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 288 pages |
| Series: | Middle East Institute Policy Series |
| Genres: |
Middle Eastern history |
Since the 1979 revolution, Iranian leaders have persisted in advancing a foreign policy aimed at achieving regional prominence and, in particular, rebuffing U.S. efforts to limit Iran's influence. But how are foreign policy decisions made in light of the country's tumultuous history? How do the challenges posed by regional and global actors impact Iranian decision making? And how can we expect Iran to behave in the future?
This book uses a 'strategic lens' to explain how Iran conducts its current foreign policy and to unpack the dilemmas and strategic quandaries facing the Islamic Republic today. Ross Harrison argues that to understand Iranian behavior it is essential to look at it from the perspective of Iran's strategic interests, namely: its capabilities; how Iran interprets the region, the international community and itself; and the state's conception of time and territory in its foreign policy calculations. Iranian foreign policy - in searching for a winning strategy for power and influence - is revealed to evince ideological strains but also realpolitik considerations based on current interpretations of the national interest. These different strains in Iran's foreign policy represent the complexity of the challenges and opportunities the state faces. They also help us to understand the present and future of Iranian foreign policy behavior.
Decoding Iran's Foreign Policy features in the following genres: Middle Eastern history
Decoding Iran's Foreign Policy is available in Hardback, Paperback
Decoding Iran's Foreign Policy was written by Ross Harrison and published by I.B. Tauris an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
Decoding Iran's Foreign Policy has 288 pages
Yes it is part of Middle East Institute Policy Series series
£17.99