ABSTRACT
More than 30 years on from Iran’s Islamic Revolution, which ended the reign of monarchs, the country continues to fascinate, worry and excite outsiders in equal measure. Though unique in so many ways, Iran also has key features in common with other revolutionary regimes. This revolution, like so many others before it, though essentially domestic, caused a tear in the very fabric of the prevailing international system. Revolutions, furthermore, disrupt and change the balance of power and with it the normal flow of diplomacy, and again Iran’s was no exception in this regard. Iran’s religious-inspired revolution undid the intricate international web of relationships that the Pahlavi monarchy had spawned and sustained, and it also brought forth a series of new initiatives more consistent with the values and outlook of the new emerging elite and their ideological commitments. So, as we take stock of Iran’s foreign relations, and the ebb and flow of its policies, we would be well advised to examine its external role with its unique revolutionary origins in mind. The revolution may be little more than a historical curiosity today, but the political regime it spawned has been anything but. Iran has played a significant part in shaping the Middle East region, and the revolution did everything to accelerate Tehran’s interaction with its hinterland. Regional and global powers alike have had little option but to contend with Iran, and despite efforts to isolate or ‘contain’ it, the country has made huge strides towards becoming a considerable regional player. Indeed, while in the 1990s the discussion was more about Iran as a regional actor, since 9/11 the more common analytical currency has been about understanding Iran as a regional power.
