ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors begin by unpacking the relationship between the Green Movement and the Arab Spring; then they contextualize Iran's foreign policy in the region in relation to its own 1979 revolution and United States involvement in the region. They discuss Iran's involvement in Syria as Syria's civil war intensified and consider the role of the Islamic State in the wider politics of the region. Under Hasan Rouhani's administration and with the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Eastern Syria, Iran and the United States have shared an interest in securing Syria's borders and defeating ISIS militants. While ISIS's immediate adversaries were Syrian, Iraqi, and Kurdish troops, in the eyes of Iran, it posed a dual threat. The authors conclude by reflecting on the effects of the Arab Spring on domestic politics in Iran, especially as they relate to domestic opposition to the ruling regime.
