Publisher's Synopsis
Iran has now become an autonomous actor on the international scene and a focus of the Islamic world. Khomeini's "neither East nor West" approach to foreign politics and his insistence on Islamic belief as the mainspring of political action have helped lead to a decade of destructive war and to a legacy of hostility with, amongst others, the USA over Irangate and hostage-taking and the UK over the Salman Rushdie affair. Nevertheless, Iran remains an inspiration to many Islamic and Third World countries and the revolution has proved durable, if not exportable.;Examining the main features of Iran's foreign policy over the last decade, this book assesses the state's relations with the United Nations, the superpowers, Europe and Iraq. Although the Islamic revolution has made Iran a significant force in the international arena, it is argued that current events in the Gulf states have now created a very different set of foreign policy challenges and options.
