ABSTRACT
The Islamic Revolution dramatically reshaped the content and form of Iranian foreign policy. It transformed Iran from a status quo regime into one committed to a universalistic religious ideology ready to cause disruption in the Gulf region and beyond. With one major stroke, the founders of the Islamic Republic destroyed Iran’s long-standing alliance with the United States and pursued a policy highly antagonistic to a dominant great power. The main tenets of Ayatollah Khomeini’s world view can be found in his writings and speeches as well as in the analyses of many observers of the Iranian scene. Khomeini’s world view, fully accepted by the ruling elite of revolutionary Iran, is concerned with several broad objectives, all of which have direct foreign policy implications. The taking of American diplomats as hostages, and their incarceration for 444 days clearly and dramatically pitted Iran against the United States in a highly offensive act that transgressed international protocols and regulations.
