Publication

This brief contemplates how Iranian policymakers view the threats facing their country and what strategy Tehran should adopt as a response. The brief's author contends that Iranian threat perceptions fall into two categories – threats to the country's revolutionary ideology and values, and threats to its traditionally defined national interests and security. This dual threat perception has then led to two irreconcilable visions of how Iran should respond – i.e., there are those who argue it should work to establish security and stability in its neighborhood, and there are those who believe it should it keep its level of engagement to the bare minimum. Given this context, the author concludes by outlining some of the misconceptions US policymakers have on how Iran conducts its foreign policy debates.