Iranian Politics Foreign Pol

1 Credit · Level: Undergraduate

The 2026 U.S.–Israeli attack on Iran has precipitated a major global crisis while simultaneously marking a significant setback for American foreign policy. This is most clearly reflected in Iran’s effective control over the Strait of Hormuz. One of the central lessons of this conflict is the Trump administration’s profound misreading of Iranian politics, society and foreign policy. This one-credit course is designed to critically examine and address this analytical failure. The structure of this course will be anchored in understanding the modern political and historical context that gave birth to the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. We will study Iran from within, based on its own historical experience, not from the perspective of the U.S. State Department. Key themes include: the nature and origins of Iran-U.S. tensions, Iran’s grand strategy (especially its nuclear program), the resiliency of authoritarianism in Iran, and the struggle for democracy.