Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is concerned more with Iran's foreign relations than with its domestic environment. It deals with Pakistan's and India's relations with Iran and examines the subcontinent in light of the preconditions and developments of the Iranian Revolution and in the larger context of regional and global forces. The book argues that while Iran's relations with the Arabs have undergone considerable changes since the Revolution, the underlying pattern of Arab-Iranian interaction has remained remarkably the same. It examines the evolution of Iran's relations with Israel, Syria, and Lebanon in terms of shifts in foreign policy since the Revolution. The book presents a detailed assessment of the forces that precipitated the Iran-Iraq war and accounted for its lengthy stalemate and discusses the elements that have been instrumental in bringing about the cease-fire.