Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Shia RevivalA gripping account that overturns simplistic portrayals of Iran as a theocratic pariah state, revealing how its strategic moves on the world stage are driven by two pervasive threats-external aggression and internal dissolutionIran presents one of the most significant foreign policy challenges for America and the West, yet very little is known about what the country’s goals really are.Vali Nasr examines Iran’s political history in new ways to explain its actions and ambitions on the world stage, showing how, behind the veneer of theocracy and Islamic ideology, today’s Iran is pursuing a grand strategy aimed at securing the country internally and asserting its place in the region and the world. Drawing on memoirs, oral histories, and original in-depth interviews with Iranian decision makers, Nasr brings to light facts and events in Iran’s political history that have been overlooked until now.He traces the roots of Iran’s stra