Table Of ContentUS Foreign Policy and Iran
US Foreign Policy and Iran is a study of US foreign policy making in relation to
Iran. It offers a new assessment of US–Iranian relations by exploring the ration-
ale, effectiveness and consequences of American policy towards Iran from the
aftermath of the 1979 Iranian Revolution to the present day.
As a key country in a turbulent region and the recipient of some of the most
inconsistent treatment meted out during and after the Cold War, Iran has been
both one of America’s closest allies and an ‘Axis of Evil’ or ‘rogue’ state, tar-
geted by covert action and contained by sanctions, diplomatic isolation and the
threat of overt action. Moreover, since the attacks of 11 September 2001, Iran
has played a significant role in the ‘War on Terror’ while also incurring Ameri-
can wrath for its links to international terror and its alleged pursuit of a nuclear-
weapons programme.
US Foreign Policy and Iran will be of interest to students of US foreign
policy, Iran, Middle Eastern politics and international security in general.
Donette Murray is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Defence and Interna-
tional Affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. She was awarded a
D.Phil in International History by the University of Ulster.
Contemporary security studies
Series Editors: James Gow and Rachel Kerr
King’s College London
This series focuses on new research across the spectrum of international peace
and security, in an era where each year throws up multiple examples of conflicts
that present new security challenges in the world around them.
NATO’s Secret Armies The Political Economy of
Operation Gladio and terrorism in Peacebuilding in Post-D ayton Bosnia
Western Europe Tim Donais
Daniele Ganser
The Distracted Eagle
The US, NATO and Military The rift between America and old
Burden- sharing Europe
Peter Kent Forster and Peter H. Merkl
Stephen J. Cimbala
The Iraq War
Russian Governance in the Twenty- European perspectives on politics,
first Century strategy, and operations
Geo- strategy, geopolitics and new Edited by Jan Hallenberg and
governance Håkan Karlsson
Irina Isakova
Strategic Contest
The Foreign Office and Finland Weapons proliferation and war in the
1938–1940 greater Middle East
Diplomatic sideshow Richard L. Russell
Craig Gerrard
Propaganda, the Press and Conflict
Rethinking the Nature of War The Gulf War and Kosovo
Edited by Isabelle Duyvesteyn and David R. Willcox
Jan Angstrom
Missile Defence
Perception and Reality in the International, regional and national
Modern Yugoslav Conflict implications
Myth, falsehood and deceit 1991–1995 Edited by Bertel Heurlin and
Brendan O’Shea Sten Rynning
Globalising Justice for Mass International Conflict Prevention
Atrocities and Peace- building
A revolution in accountability Sustaining the peace in post conflict
Chandra Lekha Sriram societies
Edited by T. David Mason and
James D. Meernik
Ethnic Conflict and Terrorism
The origins and dynamics of civil wars
Joseph L. Soeters Controlling the Weapons of War
Politics, persuasion, and the
Globalisation and the Future of prohibition of inhumanity
Terrorism Brian Rappert
Patterns and predictions
Brynjar Lia Changing Transatlantic Security
Relations
Nuclear Weapons and Strategy Do the U.S., the EU and Russia form a
The evolution of American nuclear new strategic triangle?
policy Edited by Jan Hallenberg and
Stephen J. Cimbala Håkan Karlsson
Nasser and the Missile Age in the Theoretical Roots of US Foreign
Middle East Policy
Owen L. Sirrs Machiavelli and American unilateralism
Thomas M. Kane
War as Risk Management
Strategy and conflict in an age of Corporate Soldiers and
globalised risks International Security
Yee- Kuang Heng The rise of private military companies
Christopher Kinsey
Military Nanotechnology
Potential applications and preventive Transforming European Militaries
arms control Coalition operations and the
Jürgen Altmann technology gap
Gordon Adams and Guy Ben- Ari
NATO and Weapons of Mass
Destruction Globalization and Conflict
Regional alliance, global threats National security in a ‘new’ strategic
Eric R. Terzuolo era
Edited by Robert G. Patman
Europeanisation of National
Security Identity Military Forces in 21st Century
The EU and the changing security Peace Operations
identities of the Nordic states No job for a soldier?
Pernille Rieker James V. Arbuckle
The Political Road to War with Iraq Understanding Victory and Defeat
Bush, 9/11 and the drive to overthrow in Contemporary War
Saddam Edited by Jan Angstrom and
Nick Ritchie and Paul Rogers Isabelle Duyvesteyn
Bosnian Security after Dayton Propaganda and Information
New perspectives Warfare in the Twenty- first
Edited by Michael A. Innes Century
Altered images and deception
operations
Kennedy, Johnson and NATO
Scot Macdonald
Britain, America and the Dynamics of
Alliance, 1962–68
Governance in Post- conflict
Andrew Priest
Societies
Rebuilding fragile states
Small Arms and Security Edited by Derick W. Brinkerhoff
New emerging international norms
Denise Garcia
European Security in the Twenty-
first Century
The United States and Europe The challenge of multipolarity
Beyond the neo- conservative divide? Adrian Hyde- Price
Edited by John Baylis and Jon Roper
Ethics, Technology and the
Russia, NATO and Cooperative American Way of War
Cruise missiles and US security policy
Security
Bridging the gap Reuben E. Brigety II
Lionel Ponsard
International Law and the Use of
Armed Force
International Law and International
The UN charter and the major powers
Relations
Joel H. Westra
Bridging theory and practice
Edited by Tom Bierstecker,
Disease and Security
Peter Spiro, Chandra Lekha Sriram
Natural plagues and biological
and Veronica Raffo
weapons in East Asia
Christian Enermark
Deterring International Terrorism
and Rogue States Explaining War and Peace
US national security policy after 9/11 Case studies and necessary condition
James H. Lebovic counterfactuals
Jack Levy and Gary Goertz
Vietnam in Iraq
Tactics, lessons, legacies and ghosts War, Image and Legitimacy
Edited by John Dumbrell and Viewing contemporary conflict
David Ryan James Gow and Milena Michalski
Information Strategy and Warfare Punishment, Justice and
A guide to theory and practice International Relations
John Arquilla and Douglas A. Borer Ethics and order after the Cold War
Anthony F. Lang, Jr.
Countering the Proliferation of
Weapons of Mass Destruction Intra- state Conflict, Governments
NATO and EU options in the and Security
Mediterranean and the Middle East Dilemmas of deterrence and assurance
Thanos P. Dokos Edited by Stephen M. Saideman and
Marie- Joëlle J. Zahar
Security and the War on Terror
Democracy and Security
Edited by Alex J. Bellamy, Roland
Preferences, norms and policy- making
Bleiker, Sara E. Davies and
Edited by Matthew Evangelista,
Richard Devetak
Harald Müller and Niklas Schörnig
The European Union and Strategy The Homeland Security Dilemma
An emerging actor Fear, failure and the future of
Edited by Jan Hallenberg and American security
Kjell Engelbrekt Frank P. Harvey
Causes and Consequences of Military Transformation and
International Conflict Strategy
Data, methods and theory Revolutions in military affairs and
Edited by Glenn Palmer small states
Edited by Bernard Loo
Russian Energy Policy and Military
Power Peace Operations and International
Putin’s quest for greatness Criminal Justice
Pavel Baev Building peace after mass atrocities
Majbritt Lyck
The Baltic Question During the
NATO, Security and Risk
Cold War
Management
Edited by John Hiden, Vahur Made,
From Kosovo to Khandahar
and David J. Smith
M.J. Williams
America, the EU and Strategic Cyber- conflict and Global Politics
Culture Edited by Athina Karatzogianni
Renegotiating the transatlantic bargain
Asle Toje
Globalisation and Defence in the
Asia- Pacific
Afghanistan, Arms and Conflict Arms across Asia
Post- 9/11 security and insurgency Edited by Geoffrey Till, Emrys Chew
Michael Bhatia and Mark Sedra and Joshua Ho
Security Strategies and American Clinton’s Foreign Policy
World Order Between the Bushes, 1992–2000
Lost power John Dumbrell
Birthe Hansen, Peter Toft and
Anders Wivel Aggression, Crime and
International Security
War, Torture and Terrorism Moral, political and legal dimensions
Rethinking the rules of international of international relations
security Page Wilson
Edited by Anthony F. Lang, Jr. and
Amanda Russell Beattie European Security Governance
The European Union in a Westphalian
America and Iraq
world
Policy making, intervention and
Charlotte Wagnsson, James Sperling
regional politics
and Jan Hallenberg
Edited by David Ryan and Patrick Kiely
Private Security and the
European Security in a Global
Reconstruction of Iraq
Context
Christopher Kinsey
Internal and external dynamics
Edited by Thierry Tardy
US Foreign Policy and Iran
American–Iranian relations since the
Women and Political Violence
Islamic revolution
Female combatants in ethno- national
Donette Murray
conflict
Miranda H. Alison
Justice, Intervention and Force in
International Relations
Reassessing just war theory in the 21st
century
Kimberley A. Hudson
US Foreign Policy and Iran
American–Iranian relations since the
Islamic revolution
Donette Murray
First published 2010
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2009.
To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.
© 2010 Donette Murray
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
US foreign policy and Iran: American–Iranian relations since the Islamic
revolution/Donette Murray.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. United States–Foreign relations–Iran. 2. Iran–Foreign relations–United
States. I. Title. II. Title: United States foreign policy and Iran.
E183.8.I55M828 2009
327.73055–dc22 2009002437
ISBN 0-203-87443-9 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0-415-39406-6 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0-203-87443-9 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-39406-2 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-203-87443-1 (ebk)
For Jock,
who sat beside me and kept me company
and Stu, for being wonderful
