Iran's Grand Strategy

Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History
Cover of the 2025 Princeton University Press edition
AuthorVali Nasr
LanguageEnglish
SubjectContemporary history of Iran
GenreHistory
Published2025
PublisherPrinceton University Press
Dewey Decimal327.5500904
LC ClassDS318.83 .N387 2025

Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History is a nonfiction book by Vali Nasr that was published in 2025 by Princeton University Press. This book explains how Iran's "grand strategy of resistance" evolved into "forward defense" after 2003—driven by pragmatism more than ideology, yet costly and now losing popular support at home.

Summary

This book, which was published in 2025 in about 400 pages by Princeton University Press, in 11 chapters traces how Iran's "grand strategy of resistance" took shape, seeking its roots in the Safavid fusion of Persian identity and Shiism, Qajar humiliations, and Pahlavi state-building before focusing on 1979–2024. It argues the Iran-Iraq War forged the "sacred defense" mindset, which evolved after 2003 into "forward defense"—projecting power through proxies across the Arab world. In the author's view, Iran's leaders pursued this not out of pure ideology and religious zeal but with a pragmatic logic aimed at securing the country. Yet despite regional successes, it has come at immense cost, and the state built on resistance is now losing the support of its own people.

Reception

Critics praised the book as timely and noted that it offers a fresh perspective on its subject. They also highlighted its use of lesser-known sources, and commended its deep analysis and compelling narrative.

References

  1. ↑ "Iran's grand strategy : a political history / Vali Nasr". Library of Congress.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Nama, Karam (14 June 2025). "'Iran's Grand Strategy': Preserving gains through strategic flexibility". The Arab Weekly.
  3. ↑ Frankopan, Peter (11 June 2025). "Iran's Grand Strategy — imagining a world without American hegemony". Financial Times.
  4. 1 2 Mehmood, Azeem (22 July 2026). "Book review: Vali Nasr, Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History". India Quarterly. Vol. 82, no. 3. New Delhi. pp. 334–337. doi:10.1177/09749284261468503.
  5. 1 2 Marozzi, Justin (27 June 2025). "Iran's grand strategy now looks like a sham". The Standard.
  6. 1 2 Yerick, Miyako (28 January 2025). "Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History". ColumbiaDC.
  7. ↑ de Bellaigue, Christopher (25 February 2025). "What Iran Wants". Foreign Affairs.
  8. ↑ Mir, Shakir (31 March 2026). "Defiance in the DNA". Frontline.
  9. ↑ Butt, Usman (5 June 2025). "Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History". Middle East Monitor.