Push and Pull: Iranian Policy toward Kurdish Nationalism as a Matter of Both Foreign and Domestic Policy
Abstract
Both Iran and the Kurds are entities with which American Middle Eastern policy frequently interact. Despite the high volume of literature that has been published about each entity individually, very little has been written about their overlap. For Iran, Kurdish nationalism presents both foreign and domestic aspects. Rather than cohesively tackle both elements simultaneously, Iran treats them as unique policy problems. Abroad, Kurds minority status has been an opportunity for Iran to build leverage against its neighbors. At home, Kurdish nationalism agitates Persian nationalism by undermining its three core pillars: religion, ethnicity, and territory. Although Iran does not follow a coherent Kurdish policy, its various Kurdish policies are consistent with its approaches to its security policies in both the foreign and domestic spheres.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1213125
Entities
People
- Samuel E. Brown
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School