Hostility Is Not Destiny: The Iranian Revolution and the United States

• In Event: International Politics and the Role of Ideology in Revolutions

Abstract

The relationships between revolutionary states and the international global order are not predetermined. Although radical revolutionary ideas seem to be from the outset opposed to Western hegemonic global norms, this alone does not predicate hostile relations. On the contrary, revolutionary states have at times adopted international norms and cooperated with dominant states despite often being born in opposition to them. Similarly, dominant states have accommodated their radical revolutionary counterparts when it has served their interests. The relationship between Iran and the United States after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 exemplifies this pattern. Despite surface opposition, the two countries’ relationship has evolved over time as a result of contingent processes at the global and domestic level which have driven outcomes. In some instances, favorable conditions or material incentives have formed the pretense for aligned interests. At other times, mistaken perceptions or domestic rivalries underly tensions. In other words, by tracing developments at the global and domestic levels, we can both better understand contemporary relations between the two countries and bring nuance to an otherwise deterministic account of why the Islamic Republic should be hostile to the West.

Author

• Parichehr Kazemi, University of Oregon