Product Description

The Islamic Republic of Iran's ongoing nuclear programme has provoked a major and menacing crisis in its relations with the US and other Western powers. Ali Ansari, a Briton of Iranian origin, argues that the crisis is a symptom of broader, long-term fissures in US-Iranian relations, and in Confronting Iran he seeks to disentangle the myths that are at the bottom of this gulf in understanding which is compounded by the nature of the two states, their foreign policy establishments and the fraught history of their relations since the 1979 revolution. Ansari reviews the historical antecedents of the crisis, in particular US-Iranian relations since 9/11 and attempts by the EU to broker a settlement acceptable to all parties. He argues that the European position has been dictated as much by its relations with the US in the wake of the invasion of Iraq as by domestic politics in Iran, and he concludes by assessing the election of Mahmud Ahmadinejad as President and its likely impact on the view from Tehran and Washington. This account of a potential flashpoint in relations between the Muslim world and the West could not be more timely.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #305449 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 280 pages

Review
'In his brilliant new book, Confronting Iran, AliAnsari portrays the growing secularisation ofIranian society as an unstoppable force.'-The Guardian'a lively and rewarding read'-The Economist'Ansari's book A... may help to dissolve thoseimages of mad ayatollahs armed with nuclearweapons raging through the Middle East.'-Times Literary Supplement'It is hard to imagine a more timely and readablecontribution to the current debate overpolicy towards Iran. A... Few emerge with creditfrom a story full of tragedy and mutual incomprehension.'-Sir Lawrence Freedman'For anyone seeking to understand Iran'smotivations or American foreign policy in theregion, Ali Ansari's valuable book is the rightplace to start.' -Gary Sick'With war plans being rumoured, there couldbe no better time for Ansari's smart, concise,jargon-free recounting of a century of American-Iranian relations. This should be on themust read list of anyone concerned with what comes next in the MiddleEast.' -Richard W. Bulliet, Columbia University

The Guardian, 21 August 2006
'In his brilliant new book, Confronting Iran, Ali Ansari portrays the growing secularisation of Iranian society as an unstoppable force.'

Publishers Weekly
scholarly but lucid account by a prominent historian...does not ignore
Iran's tortured politics and its national myth of victimization.

Customer Reviews

Excellent review
Ali Ansari provides an excellent review of Iran's relations with the West and particularly the United States. It rapidly covers nearly 150 years of interactions but obviously focusses on the major events - 1953 Mossadeq, the 1979 revolution and hostage taking and more recent happenings. It is very good on recent internal politics and the build up of tensions over nuclear research and weapons development.

The book is a fascinating reminder of the shifting grounds of international politics. Iran had the first freely elected democratic government in the Middle East in 1952 - but Prime Minister Mossadeq was deposed by the CIA and MI6 - how ironic. Iran has an atomic energy programme thanks to assistance from the USA - now the major source of contention between the countries.

The sadness of the book are the frequent missed opportunities for raprochment between both countries. The west and especially the USA has consistently miss read Iran over many years. Equally there have been times when the US and the west has reached out to Iran but the appropriate responses were not made.

The book is very readable but would benefit from a good editing to improve its flow. Ansari's favorite word is "myth" and he overuses it in explaining the "myths" about Iran and the "myths" about America.

A very pertinent book at this time and a good read for anyone interested in the current situation. Iran is either the next big opportunity for the West or the next big challenge. Located between the current trouble spots of Iraq and Afghanistan and with a distrubing atomic programme the next couple of years will be fascinating.