Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in Iran's Foreign Policy

277 Pages·2017·3.37 MB·English

Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in
Iran’s Foreign Policy:
The West, the State and Islam

Dissertation
zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades
der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät
der Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
und University of St. Andrews

vorgelegt von

Frau Laleh Gomari-Luksch

aus Pasay City, Philippinen

Tübingen

2017
Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in Iranian Foreign Policy

Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 09. Februar 2018
Dekan: Professor Dr. rer. soc. Josef Schmid
1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Thomas Diez
2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Gareth Stansfield

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Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in Iranian Foreign Policy

For my family

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Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in Iranian Foreign Policy

Contents

Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 8
List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................. 9
1 Chapter One: Introduction and Related Literature Review .............................................. 10
1.1 Central Thesis ........................................................................................................... 10
1.2 Historical Background .............................................................................................. 12
1.3 Perspectives on Iran’s Foreign Policy ...................................................................... 13
1.3.1 Identity-based Perspectives .................................................................................. 14
1.3.2 Interest-based Perspectives................................................................................... 19
1.3.3 The Holistic Perspective Approach ...................................................................... 23
2 Chapter Two: Theoretical Framework ............................................................................. 27
2.1 The English School Approach .................................................................................. 28
2.2 The Three Traditions ................................................................................................ 31
2.2.1 The Realist Tradition ............................................................................................ 32
2.2.2 The Rationalist Tradition ..................................................................................... 35
2.2.3 The Revolutionist Tradition ................................................................................. 37
2.2.4 The Three Traditions Together............................................................................. 41
2.3 The Contemporary International Society: Norms and Institutions .......................... 46
2.3.1 Sovereignty ........................................................................................................... 50
2.3.2 Non-intervention .................................................................................................. 52
2.4 Institutions of International Society and the Three Traditions ................................. 54
2.4.1 Diplomacy ............................................................................................................ 57
2.4.2 Balance of Power ................................................................................................. 59
2.4.3 International Law ................................................................................................. 61
2.4.4 Great Power Management .................................................................................... 63
2.4.5 War ....................................................................................................................... 64
2.5 Joining the Three Traditions and the Classic Institutions ........................................ 67
2.6 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 67
3 Chapter three: Methodology ............................................................................................. 69
3.1 The Political Discourses of Iranian Statesmen ......................................................... 70
3.2 Digital Data Gathering and Mixed-Methods Analysis ............................................. 72
3.3 The Quantitative Phase of Analysis ......................................................................... 74
3.3.1 Establishing the key phrases from the theory ....................................................... 74
3.3.2 The Software: Compount ..................................................................................... 76
3.3.3 Deriving the percentage values of each of the traditions ..................................... 78
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Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in Iranian Foreign Policy

3.3.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of the Quantitative Analysis Method................. 79
3.4 The Qualitative Phase of Analysis ........................................................................... 80
3.4.1 Choice of Texts .................................................................................................... 80
3.4.2 Potential Bias ........................................................................................................... 81
3.4.3 Questions for the qualitative analysis phase ........................................................ 82
3.4.4 Connecting the discourses with Iran’s foreign policy actions .............................. 82
3.4.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of the Qualitative Analysis Method................... 83
3.5 Limitations of the study ............................................................................................ 84
4 Quantitative Analysis ....................................................................................................... 87
4.1 General Overview of Sample ................................................................................... 87
4.2 Speeches of the Presidents and The Foreign Minister ............................................. 92
4.3 A closer look at the Datasets .................................................................................... 97
4.3.1 The Khamenei Dataset ......................................................................................... 97
4.3.2 The UN Dataset .................................................................................................. 102
4.4 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 106
5 Khamenei’s Foreign Policy Discourse ........................................................................... 108
5.1 The West versus Islam: the realist pretext for revolutionism ................................. 110
5.1.1 Hegemony of the West: The Evil realists ........................................................... 111
5.1.2 The Power of the Islamic Revolution and sovereignty ...................................... 114
5.2 Follow Iran – the champion of self-sovereignty and rationalism ........................... 116
5.2.1 Iran’s Democracy and Diplomacy ...................................................................... 119
5.2.2 Criminality of the Great Satan: breaking international law ............................... 122
5.2.3 Iran’s leadership ambition .................................................................................. 126
5.3 The Dawn of an Islamic Awakening and revolutionism ........................................ 128
5.3.1 A United Islamic Front ....................................................................................... 131
5.3.2 The Hajj as Training Grounds ............................................................................ 134
5.3.3 The Attack of the West ....................................................................................... 136
5.4 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 139
6 Khatami’s Foreign Policy Discourse .............................................................................. 142
6.1 Building bridges and the rationalist tradition ......................................................... 143
6.3 Iran the Team-player and Peace-maker .................................................................. 149
6.4 A New World Order: the thin line between rationalism and revolutionism .......... 154
6.5 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 158
7 Ahmadinejad’s Foreign Policy Discourse ...................................................................... 159
7.1 Realism in the Unjust World Order ........................................................................ 161
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7.2 The immoral materialistic West ............................................................................. 163
7.3 The myth of the Saviour: Mahmoud, the Supreme Leader of the UN ................... 166
7.4 Democracy, solidarity and the rationalist tradition ................................................ 170
7.5 Iran’s nuclear program and rationalism ....................................................................... 173
7.6 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 177
8 Rouhani’s Foreign Policy Discourse .............................................................................. 181
8.1 Moderation, Democracy and the rationalist tradition ............................................. 182
8.2 World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) ...................................................... 186
8.3 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ...................................................... 188
8.4 The relic of the realist and revolutionist tradition .................................................. 191
8.5 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 193
9 Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in Iran’s Foreign Policy ............................... 196
9.1 Realism ................................................................................................................... 196
9.1.1 The United States ............................................................................................... 197
9.1.2 The Hezbollah and IRGC ................................................................................... 198
9.1.3 Iraq ..................................................................................................................... 199
9.1.4 Syria ................................................................................................................... 202
9.1.5 Lebanon .............................................................................................................. 203
9.1.6 Yemen ................................................................................................................ 204
9.2 Rationalism ............................................................................................................. 205
9.2.1 Trade: Iran’s main rationalist international activity ........................................... 206
9.2.2 Iran’s Neighbours ............................................................................................... 210
9.2.3 Iran and the Middle East .................................................................................... 216
9.2.4 Iran and the World .............................................................................................. 220
9.2.5 The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ........................................... 224
9.2.6 The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) ............................................. 226
9.3 Revolutionism ........................................................................................................ 227
9.3.1 Islamic cosmopolitanism .................................................................................... 228
9.3.2 Global Cosmopolitanism .................................................................................... 237
9.4 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 239
10 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 242
10.1 Iran’s foreign policy explained................................................................................... 242
10.2 Avenues for future research ................................................................................... 248
10.3 Reflections .................................................................................................................. 251
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 253
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Appendix 1: Keywords - Realism .......................................................................................... 272
Appendix 2: Keywords - Rationalism .................................................................................... 274
Appendix 3: Keywords – Revolutionism ............................................................................... 276

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Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in Iranian Foreign Policy

Acknowledgements

It takes an entire village to raise a child – or to complete a dissertation with the countless
intricacies and challenges attached to it affecting all aspects of a person’s life and mine is no
exception. Without a big network of family, friends and colleagues, it would have been
impossible for me to push through with this research for it involved excessive intellectual,
emotional and physical strains that could not be offset alone.
My academic development owes much to my supervisors Prof. Thomas Diez and Prof. Ali
Ansari. I would like to express my gratitude for their guidance and patience, dedicating
countless hours reading, discussing and giving me invaluable feedback on my thesis. I am
indebted to the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation for providing me the financial support and
reassurance that I needed. Through them I could pursue research in St. Andrews, attend
seminars and present my work at conferences across the globe. The academic community of
both University of Tübingen and University of St. Andrews have been particularly supportive
and helpful. Andreas Hasenclever, Ray Hinnebusch, Morten Valbjørn, Nick Rengger and Ryan
Beasley deserve special mention for their generous insights, which have helped shape my
research.
I would like to thank my family starting with my husband, Stefan, for his unwavering support
in all respects. My finishing this dissertation owes much to his care and attention giving me the
strength to carry on despite all the hardships. I also want to thank my brothers Parviz, Syrus
and Peiman for their moral support throughout these years and my father, Safar Ali Gomari for
his faith in me. I’m extremely grateful to my dearest friends Lisa Gaufman, Aviva Guttmann
and Maryam Aras for the lengthy discussions, invaluable comments and persistent
encouragement especially during challenging times.
Special thanks go to my friends Serveh Sharififar, Sarah Winkler, Umberto Zanolini, Anahita
Aryan, Beste Isleyen, Valentina Churisova, Dmitry Chernobrov, Annette Schramm, Diamond
Uy, Ching Kübel, Michael Kübel, Julia Palme, Carolin Echt, Svenja Vollmer, Matthias Leese,
Lukas Kasten, Jorge Garzon, Rima Ostwani Najjar, Yannick Veilleux Lepage, Ellie Chaplin-
Ashton, Ameneh Mehvar and David Miles who were always willing to lend their ears and give
me advice through the good and bad times. They all made my years as a PhD student enjoyable
and fun. Many thanks to Letty Ortwein, Alice Ziegler, Martin Ziegler, Vu Thi Kim Phung, Bui
Van Nga, Josefina Mariano and Ding Mariano for providing me with delicious meals and
practical support during the writing-up phase.
Last but certainly not the least, I want to thank my late mother, Divina Gomari, who inspired
me to embark on this journey to defy all the odds.
I am forever grateful for the support of everyone who accompanied me along the way.

Laleh Gomari-Luksch
Esslingen am Neckar
7 October 2017
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Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in Iranian Foreign Policy

List of Abbreviations

AIOC Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
BOP Balance of Power
CIA Central Intelligence Agency (U.S.)
DAC Dialogue Among Civilizations
ECHO European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
ECO Economic Cooperation Organization
EU European Union
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council
GPM Great Power Management
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
ICDAC International Centre of Dialogue Among Civilizations
IICDCC International Centre for Dialogue among Cultures and Civilizations
IL International Law
IRGC Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps
IRP Islamic Republican Party
JCM India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting
JCPOA Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
NAM Non-Aligned Movement
NPT Non-Proliferation Treaty
OIC Organization of Islamic Cooperation
RCD Regional Cooperation for Development
UN United Nations
UNGA United Nations General Assembly
UNSC United Nations Security Council
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
USD United States Dollars
WAVE World Against Violence and Extremism
WMD Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Realism, Rationalism and Revolutionism in Iranian Foreign Policy

1 Introduction and Related Literature Review

1.1 Central Thesis
Iran’s association with terms such as ‘rogue state, pariah state or axis of evil’ had ascribed
negative attributes to the country, which extends to the way Iran conducts its foreign affairs.
This complicates international relations with Tehran as the political elites are regarded with
heavy scepticism and their foreign policy as highly questionable. Suspicion regarding Iran’s
real intent on having a functioning nuclear program is a case in point. Iranian leaders have
persistently claimed it is solely for peaceful purposes. ‘Due to the important fatwa of its leader
and its defence doctrine, [Iran] has never had the intention of producing a nuclear weapon’ and
yet mistrust has prevailed.1 I developed this research within this context of ambiguity
surrounding Iranian foreign policy, wherein I answer the question: How can we explain the
dynamics of Iran’s foreign policy?
I argue that Iran’s foreign policy is consistent and is fundamentally realist with a revolutionist
vision while the means are rationalist. Iranian statesmen, like most statesmen in the world,
shape their policies within the institutional and normative parameters of the modern
international society of sovereign states adhering to the traditions of realism, rationalism and
revolutionism. Iranian statesmen participating in international affairs utilize the institutions of
international society and follow normative guidelines on how to effectively conduct themselves
in pursuing their foreign policy objectives. These objectives are simultaneously realist,
rationalist and revolutionist in nature showing the complexity and dynamism of Iran’s foreign
policy. Iran’s foreign policy results from the interplay and balancing of the ‘traditions of
thought’ of the international society by the Iranian statesmen, proving it is similar to foreign
policies of all the other countries in the world. My analysis of Iran’s foreign policy relies on a
different and multi-faceted approach as compared to most research on the topic while at the
same time supporting the conclusion of most studies on Iranian foreign policy. I show that
Iran’s foreign policy is consistent by providing a different understanding of it using the English
School approach. Furthermore, I use both the quantitative and qualitative methods, taking into

1 Hassan Rouhani, “Address by Mr. Hassan Rouhani, President of the I.R. of Iran at the General Debate of the
General Assembly of the UN (2015),” United Nations, accessed December 17, 2016,
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=a/70/pv.13
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