Iran Rising
The Survival and Future of the Islamic Republic
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- USD 14.99
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- USD 14.99
Descripción editorial
An authoritative account of how and why the Islamic Republic has survived to become a critical player in the Middle East and the world
When Iranians overthrew their monarchy, rejecting a pro-Western shah in favor of an Islamic regime, many observers predicted that revolutionary turmoil would paralyze the country for decades to come. Yet forty years after the 1978–79 revolution, Iran has emerged as a critical player in the Middle East and the wider world, as demonstrated in part by the 2015 international nuclear agreement. In Iran Rising, renowned Iran specialist Amin Saikal describes how the country has managed to survive despite ongoing domestic struggles, Western sanctions, and countless other serious challenges.
Saikal explores Iran’s recent history, beginning with the revolution, which set in motion a number of developments, including war with Iraq, precarious relations with Arab neighbors, and hostilities with Israel and the United States. He highlights the regime’s agility as it navigated a complex relationship with Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion, survived the Gulf wars, and handled fallout from the Iraqi and Syrian crises. Such success, Saikal maintains, stems from a distinctive political order, comprising both a supreme Islamic leader and an elected president and national assembly, which can fuse religious and nationalist assertiveness with pragmatic policy actions at home and abroad.
But Iran’s accomplishments, including its nuclear development and ability to fight ISIS, have cost its people, who are desperately pressuring the ruling clerics for economic and social reforms—changes that might in turn influence the country’s foreign policy. Amid heightened global anxiety over alliances, terrorism, and nuclear threats, Iran Rising offers essential reading for understanding a country that, more than ever, is a force to watch.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Saikal (Modern Afghanistan: A History of Struggle and Survival), a historian at Australian National University, offers a critical but not unsympathetic perspective on the "unique and multi-dimensional, and at times tragic, theopolitical story" of Iran. Four decades after the culmination of a revolution enjoying overwhelming public support, the country is isolated, buffeted by sanctions, and bitterly divided. The clerical establishment "has used the state apparatus to gain control of coercive forces, means of mass communications, educational institutions, and public forums." Following a brief and efficient overview of Iranian history since the overthrow of the shah, Saikal turns to the geopolitical and financial situation. He cautions that powerful interests within Iran, such as the military-connected charitable foundations (among them the Revolutionary Guards Corps) that control many industries, have a vested interest in maintaining the country's hostility with the West. Saikal's convincing bottom line is that open confrontation with Iran is unwise and unlikely to be productive, whereas a policy of careful engagement, while risky, could enable progress on the margins. The author's careful, analytic approach privileges trade statistics and governmental communiqu s over stories of human interest; as such, this is for readers who seek an understanding of strategic considerations, rather than a sense of what daily life is like for the Iranian population.
