The four-decade strategy of the US confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Lorestan University

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University

Abstract

Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, relations between Washington and Tehran have been consistently hostile, with the potential for conflict between the two countries often apparent. While the actions of the US in each period have been influenced by the discourse and foreign policy of each president, there has been a noticeable consistency in their overall approach. This approach can be described as a Brinkmanship Strategy (Confrontation to the brink of disaster), with the goal of pressuring Iran into compromising or abandoning its goals and ideals. The research question based on this assumption is that: What has been the main strategy shaping America's confrontation with Iran and the Islamic Republic's strategy against it? The hypothesis of the article is that the root of all American actions stems from the brinkmanship strategy, which includes three aspects: sanctions, military threats, and consensus-building. In response, Iran has employed a strategy of strategic patience, leading to economic resistance, increasing regional influence, and deterring American military action. The approach of this paper is qualitative and its research method is descriptive - analytical.

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