Western policymakers should look beyond only the end of the Cold War in 1989 as the pivotal moment of our age. Ten years earlier, Iran’s Revolution had already sparked a process of geopolitical realignment that remains central to this day.
Western policymakers have underestimated Iran’s commitment to upholding and exporting 1979’s revolutionary ideology. That commitment is held by leaders across the spectrum, from those perceived by the West as hardliners to those seen as moderates.
A non-cleric, Western-educated intellectual with strong Marxist leanings, Ali Shariati became convinced that only a revolutionary ideology could oust Iran’s Pahlavi monarchy and liberate Iranians from the evils of Western imperialism. His writings were key influences in Iran’s revolution.
Velayat-e faqih is a Shia Islamist system of governance that justifies the rule of the clergy over the state. The concept of velayat-e faqih is central to understanding the Iranian political system and Tehran’s influence abroad.
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