The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran: The United States, Foreign Policy, and Political Rivalry since 1979

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Understanding the foreign policy agenda and behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a critical challenge for the world. But where do the principal Iranian regime actors come from in terms of political background, experiences and interests Which types of ambitions or policy conflicts have dominated and shaped foreign policy debates since 1979 This book explains the internal policy process in Tehran by following two regime personalities, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who before his death in January 2017 held some of the most powerful political positions in Iran. No two men have been more influential in dictating the regimes decision-making processes since 1979. Yet little is known about how their competing worldviews and interests, their key moments of dispute both personal or policy-based or their personal ambitions have informed the trajectory of Iranian politics. The book analyzes Khamenei and Rafsanjanis own words and writings - and accounts of them given by others - to reveal how the domestic policy contest has shaped Tehrans actions on the regional and international stage. Comprising primary and secondary Iranian sources - including untapped memoirs, newspaper reports, and Iranian electronic media and personal interviews - the book highlights the principal rivalries over the lifespan of the Islamic Republic and offers new insights into the present and future of Iranian foreign policy.

Reviews

Alex Vatankas Battle of the Ayatollahs is a provocative and intriguing account of the past 40 years of Iranian history told in a way never done before. By focusing on the relationship of the Islamic Republics two most enduring figures, Supreme Leader Ali Khamene'i and former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, he brings to life the complex role that these and other key personalities played in building a regime that has bedeviled the United States ever since. -- Kenneth M. Pollack, author of The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America
The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran by Alex Vatanka is a riveting book, well written and absorbing, tracing political developments in the Islamic Republic since its inception through the ideology of two major players in the IRI, Hashemi-Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Khamenei. It was a relationship between a mentor (Rafsanjani) and a mentee (Khamenei) that evolved over the years from close friendship and patronage, and with the more powerful Rafsanani acting as the king-maker for Khamenei to succeed Ayatollah Khomeini as Supreme Leader. As Khamenei concentrated power in his own hands, he distanced himself from Rafsanjani and gradually marginalized and eventually sidelined him. Their differences over domestic and foreign policy, including a potential rapprochement with the United States that Rafsanjani favored and Khamenei did not, spilled out into the open, so that towards the end of Rafsanjanis life a once-close relationship was bordering on enmity. A fascinating story and a good read, for not only those interested in Iran but for anyone who enjoys a good story, well-told. -- Haleh Esfandiari Director Emerita and Senior Scholar Middle East Program, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington DC, USA
Alex Vatanka has written an original and detailed account of factional infighting in post-revolutionary Iran. This book serves as a testimony to the time-honoured wisdom that a revolution devours its children. It is an essential read for anyone who wishes to understand the complexities of the clerical landscape and its divisions in today's Iran. * Roya Hakakian, author of Assassins of the Turquoise Palace *
[An] exceptionally thoughtful book. * Survival: Global Politics and Strategy *

Author Bio

Alex Vatanka is Senior Fellow in the Middle East Institute and the Jamestown Foundation in Washington D.C. He is the author of Iran-Pakistan: Security, Diplomacy, and American Influence (I.B.Tauris, 2015) and has written for outlets such as Foreign Affairs, Americas Quarterly, CNN.com, Al Monitor, the Journal of International Security Affairs and BBC Persian Online.