Abstract
Since the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States have been sworn enemies. Washington accuses Tehran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, sponsoring terrorism, threatening its neighbors and abusing human rights. Iran categorically denies these accusations. This chapter examines this troubled relation between the two nations. The focus is on the strategic and military dimensions. The argument is despite decades of political and economic confrontations and a few military skirmishes, a rapprochement cannot be ruled out and indeed is likely.
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Notes
- 1.
Rouhani: Iran-US Tug-of-War at its ‘Maximum,’” Iran Daily, February 20, 2019, www.iran-daily.com/news/239157.html.
- 2.
“BP Statistical Review of World Energy,” British Petroleum Statistical Review 69th edition, June 2020, www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2020-full-report.pdf.
- 3.
“Leader: US Plots Doomed to Fail,” Iran Daily, May 23, 2018, www.iran-daily.com/news/215611.html.
- 4.
“To Remain in JCPOA, Leader Announces Conditions to Be Met by Europe,” Mehr News, May 23, 2018, https://en.mehrnews.com/news/134300/To-remian-in-JCPOA-Leader-announces-conditions-to-be-met-by.
- 5.
Susan Heavy, “Saudi Arabia, Iran must shape ‘cold peace’ Obama says,” Reuters, March 10, 2016, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-obama-iduskcnowc23a.
- 6.
Mike Pompeo, “After the Deal: A New Iran Strategy,” US Department of State, May 21, 2018 https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/05/282301.htm.
- 7.
Mike Pompeo, “Diplomacy in Action: Remarks to the Press,” US Department of State, April 8, 2019 https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2019/04/290966.htm.
- 8.
U.S. Department of State, “Country Reports on Terrorism 2017,” February 22, 2019 https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2017/282847.htm.
- 9.
U.S. Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017,” November 2, 2020 https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm#wrapper.
- 10.
Ayatollah Khamenei: Regional Presence A Tenet of Iran’s Power,” Tasnim News, July 21, 2018 https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2018/07/21/1781887/ayatollah-khamenei-regional-presence-a-tenet-of-iran-s-power.
- 11.
U.S. Department of State, “Supporting Iranian Voices,” July 22, 2018 https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/07/284292.htm.
- 12.
Katrina Manson, “Washington’s Iran Wish List Lacks Support from Allies,” Financial Times, May 24, 2018 https://www.ft.com/content/2b97380a-5d63-11e8-9334-2218e7146b04.
- 13.
Katrina Manson, “Washington’s Iran Wish List Lacks Support from Allies,” Financial Times, May 24, 2018 https://www.ft.com/content/2b97380a-5d63-11e8-9334-2218e7146b04.
- 14.
Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Defense, “DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms,” November 8, 2020 http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/dictionary.pdf.
- 15.
Council on Foreign Relations, “Iran’s Revolutionary Guards,” November 12, 2020 http://www.cfr.org/iran/irans-revolutionary-guards/p14324.
- 16.
Michael Connell, “Gulf III: Iran’s power in the sea lanes,” November 13, 2020 http://iranprimer.usip.org/blog/2013/mar/12/gulf-iii-iran%E2%80%99s-power-sea-lanes.
- 17.
Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess Jr., “Iran’s military power,” November 13, 2020 http://www.nti.org/media/pdfs/1_6.pdf?_=1316627912.
- 18.
Michael Eisenstadt, “Iran’s lengthening cyber shadow,” November 14, 2020 http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/irans-lengthening-cyber-shadow.
References
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Eisenstadt M (2020) Iran’s lengthening cyber shadow, 14 Nov 2020. http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/irans-lengthening-cyber-shadow
Heavy S (2016) Saudi Arabia, Iran must shape ‘cold peace’ Obama says. Reuters, 10 Mar 2016. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-obama-iduskcnowc23a
Iran Daily (2018) Leader: US Plots Doomed to Fail. Iran Daily, 23 May 2018. www.iran-daily.com/news/215611.html
Iran Daily (2019) Rouhani: Iran-US Tug-of-War at its ‘Maximum’. Iran Daily, 20 Feb 2019. www.iran-daily.com/news/239157.html
Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Defense (2020) DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 8 Nov 2020. http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/dictionary.pdf
Manson K (2018) Washington’s Iran Wish list lacks support from Allies. Financial Times, 24 May 2018. https://www.ft.com/content/2b97380a-5d63-11e8-9334-2218e7146b04
Mehr News (2018) To remain in JCPOA, leader announces conditions to be met by Europe. Mehr News, 23 May 2018. https://en.mehrnews.com/news/134300/To-remian-in-JCPOA-Leader-announces-conditions-to-be-met-by
Mike Pompeo (2018) After the deal: a new Iran strategy. US Department of State, 21 May 2018. https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/05/282301.htm
Mike Pompeo (2019) Diplomacy in action: remarks to the press. US Department of State, 8 April 2019. https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2019/04/290966.htm
Tasnim News (2018) Ayatollah Khamenei: regional presence a Tenet of Iran’s power. Tasnim News, 21 July 2018. https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2018/07/21/1781887/ayatollah-khamenei-regional-presence-a-tenet-of-iran-s-power
U.S. Department of State (2019) Country reports on terrorism 2017. 22 Feb 2019. https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2017/282847.htm
U.S. Department of State (2020) Country reports on human rights practices for 2017. 2 Nov 2020. https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm#wrapper
U.S. Department of State (2018) Supporting Iranian Voices, 22 July 2018. https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/07/284292.htm
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Bahgat, G. (2022). Iran and the United States: The Way Forward. In: Farhadi, A., Masys, A. (eds) The Great Power Competition Volume 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90390-9_2
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