The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran : The United States, Foreign Policy, and Political Rivalry Since 1979

"Understanding the foreign policy agenda and behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a critical challenge for the world. But where do the principal Iranian regime actors come from in terms of political background, experiences and interests? Which types of ambitions or policy conflicts have dominated and shaped foreign policy debates since 1979? This book explains the internal policy process in Tehran by following two regime personalities, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who before his death in January 2017 held some of the most powerful political positions in Iran. No two men have been more influential in dictating the regime's decision-making processes since 1979. Yet little is known about how their competing worldviews and interests, their key moments of dispute - both personal or policy-based - or their personal ambitions have informed the trajectory of Iranian politics. The book analyzes Khamenei and Rafsanjani's own words and writings - and accounts of them given by others - to reveal how the domestic policy contest has shaped Tehran's actions on the regional and international stage. Comprising primary and secondary Iranian sources - including untapped memoirs, newspaper reports, and Iranian electronic media and personal interviews - the book highlights the principal rivalries over the lifespan of the Islamic Republic and offers new insights into the present and future of Iranian foreign policy."-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Dedication 8 Contents 10 Illustrations 11 Acknowledgments 12 Note to the Reader 13 Prologue 14 1 (1978–9)—Khamenei and Rafsanjani: Waiting for Khomeini to Return from Paris 22 2 (1979–80)—Bloodletting between the Reds and Islamists to Seizing the US Embassy 38 3 (1980–1)—The Second Purge: Chaos at Home and War Abroad 54 4 (1981–5)—Rafsanjani and Khamenei Sharpen Knives for Each Other 70 5 (1985–9)—The Beginning of the End of Khomeini 82 6 (1989–93)—Khamenei: The Second Supreme Leader 102 7 (1993–7)—Dithering in Tehran as the Cold War Ends 120 8 (1997–2005)—The Era of Reformist Hope: Rafsanjani under Fire; Khamenei Hits Back 150 9 (2005–13)—The Election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 172 10 (2013–Present)—The Coming of President Hassan Rouhani 194 Epilogue 218 Notes 226 Prologue 226 1 (1978–9)—Khamenei and Rafsanjani: Waiting for Khomeini to Return from Paris 226 2 (1979–80)—Bloodletting between the Reds and Islamists to Seizing the US Embassy 228 3 (1980–1)—The Second Purge: Chaos at Home and War Abroad 230 4 (1981–5)—Rafsanjani and Khamenei Sharpen Knives for Each Other 232 5 (1985–9)—The Beginning of the End of Khomeini 233 6 (1989–93)—Khamenei: The Second Supreme Leader 236 7 (1993–7)—Dithering in Tehran as the Cold War Ends 239 8 (1997–2005)—The Era of Reformist Hope: Rafsanjani under Fire; Khamenei Hits Back 241 9 (2005–13)—The Election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 243 10 (2013–Present)—The Coming of President Hassan Rouhani 246 Epilogue 248 Select Bibliography 250 Index 252 Preliminary Chapter Outline: Background and the earliest intra-regime debate about the Islamic Republic's international identity: to remain a nation state with a narrow and well-defined national priorities or to become a global revolutionary cause è -- 1980-1988: The debate on how to break Iran's international isolation during the Iran-Iraq War (what was out of necessity and what was due to genuine policy differences) è -- 1989-1997: President Rafsanjani's first attempt to return to the global mainstream (how much of a consensus was behind this policy shift?) è -- 1997-2005: President Khatami and a second attempt to reintegrate into the global mainstream (The intensification of the link between factional legitimacy, power play and foreign policy) è -- 2005-2013: Ahmadinejad's populist and erratic foreign policy approach: from revolutionary zeal to challenging Ayatollah Khamenei's conventional wisdom è -- 2013-present: Ayatollah Khamenei's balancing act to maintain an equilibrium between President Rouhani's "moderates" and the "hardliners" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. -- Each of these chapters will be further divided into sub-chapters based on specific turn of events. For example, what was the Iranian debate during the Iran-Contra affair or the debate on how to respond to the Taliban's killing of Iranian diplomats in 1998? These are some examples of pivotal moments in Iranian foreign policy where American analysts, policy-makers and general audience will benefit from being exposed to Iranian accounts The foreign policy agenda and behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a critical challenge for the world. But where do the principal Iranian regime actors come from in terms of political background, experiences and interests? Which types of ambitions or policy conflicts have dominated and shaped foreign policy debates since 1979? This book explains the internal policy process in Tehran by following two regime personalities, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who before his death in January 2017 amassed some of the most powerful political positions in Iran. No two men have been more influential in dictating the regime's decision-making processes since 1979. Yet little is known about how their competing worldviews and interests, their key moments of dispute - both personal or policy-based - or their personal ambitions have informed the trajectory of Iranian politics. The book analyzes Khamenei and Rafsanjani's own words and writings - and accounts of them given by others - to reveal how the domestic policy contest has shaped Tehran's actions on the regional and international stage. Comprising primary and secondary Iranian sources - including untapped memoirs, newspaper reports, and Iranian electronic media and personal interviews - the book highlights the principal rivalries over the lifespan of the Islamic Republic and offers new insights into the present and future of Iranian foreign policy