1st Edition

Iran at the Crossroads Global Relations in a Turbulent Decade

By Miron Rezun Copyright 1990

    The chapters in this book were written by me or solicited from renowned experts to produce a work that anticipated an imminent post- Khomeini period in Iranian history. The first draft was not ready until June 1989, practically coinciding with the death of Khomeini and the tenth anniversary of the Iranian Revolution-an important milestone after a decade of turmoil. The book you are about to read took some time to put together. Based on extensive research, the project was undertaken in early 1988 and ended about the spring of 1990. A sincere debt of gratitude is naturally owed to all of my contributors. But the preparation of any book does not take place in a financial void. My gratitude is especially extended to the academic vice-president of my university, Dr. Robert Burridge, for granting me the seed money from the university's Development Fund. Substantial financial assistance to cover the bulk of the logistical expenses was offered by the Canadian Institute of International Peace and Security in Ottawa and by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through its program of aid to scholarly conferences.

    "Preface and Acknowledgments -- About the Contributors – Introduction / Miron Rezun -- PART ONE TWO PERSPECTIVES ON IRANIAN FOREIGN POLICY -- 1 The ""Pariah"" Syndrome: The Complexities of the Iranian Predicament / Miron Rezun -- 2 Religious Dogma and the Economic and Political Imperatives of Iranian Foreign Policy / Roger M. Savory -- PART TWO IRAN AND ITS NON-ARAB NEIGHBORS -- 3 Relations with Pakistan and India / Ashok Kapur -- 4 Iran and Turkey: Permanent Revolution or Islamism in One Country? / Fuat Borovali -- PART THREE IRAN AND THE MIDDLE EAST SITUATION -- 5 Iran and the Arab World, Shireen / T. Hunter -- 6 Iran's Relations with Israel, Syria, and Lebanon / Shaul Bakhash -- PART FOUR FOCUS ON THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR -- 7 Iran and the War: From Stalemate to Cease-fire / Shahram Chubin -- 8 The Legacy of the Iran-Iraq War / John Sigler -- PART FIVE IRAN AND THE SUPERPOWERS -- 9 Double Demons: Cultural Impedance in U.S.-Iranian Understanding / William 0. Beeman -- 10 The Soviet Union and Iran: Changing Relations in the Gorbachev Era / Carol R. Saivetz -- PART SIX CONCLUSION -- 11 The Internal Struggle, the Rushdie Affair, and the Prospects for the Future / Miron Rezun -- Index. "