ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses the weaknesses and strengths of the Iranian role in the international system and in the regional context without anti-Iranian prejudgments. It argues that the United States (US) has always viewed Iran rather as a tool to achieve its broader geopolitical goals, without having an interest in Iran per se. The book describes how US–Iran relations developed starting from the first contacts between the two countries established in the nineteenth century. It also argues that while economic sanctions by the international community strongly affected Iran’s economy, the leadership in Tehran has further contributed to Iran’s troubles, mismanaging the country’s resources and failing to introduce appropriate economic policies. The book offers some considerations on the societal and cultural traits of Iranian society before the revolution.
