ABSTRACT
Iran’s post-revolutionary theocracy provides a unique case for the study of
international politics of the developing states as it challenges many of the
paradigms traditionally prevalent in the discipline. It challenges the view that
developing states in general, and Middle Eastern states in particular, are merely
subordinate actors in an international system dominated by ‘core’ powers. Iran
also challenges the notion of a ‘global society’ that is based on rules and norms
of behavior that all actors need to accommodate. And finally, Iran’s international
relations challenge many of the established definitions of ‘national interest’. The
approach adopted here assumes that Iran’s foreign policy and its decision-
making processes over the last quarter century can only be usefully examined
through an understanding of its internal policy in interaction with regional and
international levels.
