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Guardians of the Revolution: Iran and the World in the Age of the Ayatollahs
Posted: July 24th, 2009, 7:44pm CEST

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The late imam was the greatest political and military analyst and a great politician. Imam Khomeini was the best possible pattern for all people in all ages and eras,” declared President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2008.1 It is rare for a revolutionary leader to exercise such infl uence over the imagination of his successors two decades after his passing. However, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was no ordinary leader, as his vision and words continue to resonate with generations of Iranian politicians. All of this raises the following questions: What kind of a state is the Islamic Republic of Iran? Is it still a revolutionary regime bent on upending the prevailing order, or is it prepared to accommodate the mandates of the international community? The truth lies somewhere in between. More than any other Middle Eastern country, Iran defi es easy characterization. The best way of understanding the Islamic Republic’s priorities is to expand the canvass and assess its foreign policy over the entire duration of its existence. Only through such an exercise can we come to terms with the complexities and contradictions that have shaped Iran’s approach to the world.