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The Third World, global Islam and pragmatism: the making of Iranian foreign policy
Dritte Welt, globaler Islam und Pragmatismus: wie die Außenpolitik Irans gemacht wird
[working paper]
Corporate Editor
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik -SWP- Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit
Abstract "The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the last nation states to deliberately position itself strategically and ideologically in opposition to the United States. The reasons for this lie in the history of Iran in the twentieth century and – in the view of the regime in Tehran – in the Islamic chara... view more
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the last nation states to deliberately position itself strategically and ideologically in opposition to the United States. The reasons for this lie in the history of Iran in the twentieth century and – in the view of the regime in Tehran – in the Islamic character and specifically Persian features of the country. Thirty years after the Islamic revolution the Western world is still unsure what ideology the Islamic Republic of Iran espouses and hence which principles and goals guide its foreign policy. The spectrum of opinions ranges from mistrust of an Islamic regime and fear of religious fundamentalism to surprise at the pragmatism of Iranian foreign policy. Depending on which of these perceptions prevails, this leads to two opposing assessments of Iran: either that its policies are dominated by religious irrationalism, which combined with the Iranian nuclear programme represents a global threat – adherents of this view believe the international community should rigorously oppose this programme; or the opposite view that ideology is only window dressing for a nation-state acting rationally in defence of its own interests. A closer look at the main priorities of Iranian foreign policy reveals that neither of these positions is tenable in itself." (author's abstract)... view less
Keywords
Iran; foreign policy; ideology; cultural factors; pragmatism; pressure-group politics; international relations; bilateral relations; constitution; anti-Americanism; United States of America; non-aligned country; Afghanistan; Central Asia; USSR successor state; economic factors; defense policy; nuclear weapon; Third World; Middle East; Arab countries; Persian Gulf; Saudi Arabia; Syria; Turkey; Islam
Classification
International Relations, International Politics, Foreign Affairs, Development Policy
Document language
English
Publication Year
2013
City
Berlin
Page/Pages
31 p.
Series
SWP Research Paper, 3/2013
ISSN
1863-1053
Status
Published Version; reviewed
Licence
Deposit Licence - No Redistribution, No Modifications