Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies
Abstract
Irans national security policy is the product of many, and sometimes competing, factors: the ideology of Irans Islamic revolution; Iranian leaderships perception of threats to the regime and to the country; long-standing Iranian national interests; and the interaction of the Iranian regimes various factions and constituencies. Some experts assert that the goal of Irans national security strategy is to overturn a power structure in the Middle East that Iran asserts favors the United States and its allies Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other Sunni Muslim Arab regimes. Iran characterizes its support for Shiite and other Islamist movements as support for the oppressed and asserts that Saudi Arabia, in particular, is instigating sectarian tensions and trying to exclude Iran from regional affairs. Others interpret Iran as primarily attempting to protect itself from U.S. or other efforts to invade or intimidate it or to change its regime. Its strategy might, alternatively or additionally, represent an attempt to enhance Irans international prestige or restore a sense of greatness reminiscent of the ancient Persian empires. From 2010 until 2016, Irans foreign policy also focused on attempting to mitigate the effects of international sanctions on Iran.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 06, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1027350
Entities
People
- Kenneth Katzman
Organizations
- Congressional Research Service