About the Author

Preface and acknowledgements

Glossary

Introduction

The internal dynamics of Iran

Grassroots democracy in Iran

Perception of Iran’s foreign policy in the Middle East

The rise of Islamisms in the region

Change in political Islam

The organisation of this book

1 The legacy of a revolution

Tensions within the revolutionary movement

The revolutionary period, 1979–80

The Iran–Iraq war, 1980–88

The nature of the Islamic state

2 The reformers, the conservatives and the struggle for democracy

The reform movement

The democracy movement

The 2009–10 uprisings and the Green Movement

3 Islamist modernists

The Sunni–Shi’a divide

Iran and the Islamic empire

The Shi’a rise to power

The marginalisation of Shi’a clergy in the twentieth century

‘Religious new thinkers’ and the challenge to the rule of clergy

4 The relationship between Iran, Lebanon and Hezbollah

The emergence of Hezbollah

Hezbollah’s participation in electoral politics

The provision of resources by Hezbollah

Iran’s relationship with Hezbollah

Israel’s wars on Lebanon strengthen Iran’s position

5 The relationship between Iran and Iraq

The war with Iran, the invasion of Kuwait, sanctions and the fall of Saddam Hussein

Changes in the Shi’a–Sunni balance of state power

The US occupation of Iraq strengthens Iran’s position

Criticisms of the role of Iran

6 The relationship between Iran, Palestine and Hamas

The emergence of Hamas

Hamas participation in electoral politics

The provision of resources by Hamas

Israeli wars unite Palestinians against Israel

Israel’s policies strengthen Iran and Hamas

Iran’s relationship with Hamas

Hamas in power

7 The relationship between Iran and Egypt

Iran and Egypt

The rise of the Islamists

Islamist women’s rights activism

The provision of resources by Islamists

The Muslim Brotherhood and electoral politics

The client state of the West strengthens Islamists

Iran’s popularity in Egypt

8 The global context of Iranian state and society

‘You are either with us or with the terrorists’

War on Iran

The decline of American hegemony

Notes

References

Index