To understand contemporary Iran's notoriously complex politics, it is essential to grasp the monumental changes initiated by Mohammad Khatami. The previously little-known cleric stormed to victory in Iran's 1997 presidential elections with nearly 70 per cent of the vote, encouraging Iran's nascent civil society and reform movements to flourish during his eight year tenure as president. Ghoncheh Tazmini's book offers a thought-provoking, astutely close-up yet systematic analysis of Khatami the man and the reform movement that supported him. This book provides a comprehensive and finely detailed introduction to the subtleties of contemporary Iran's complex political culture. At the same time it is an important reference point for a critical period of Iran's post-revolutionary trajectory, especially given the controversial developments in the country after the re-election of President Ahmadinejad in 2009. With new presidential elections looming in 2013, and the importance of Iran once again becoming paramount, this book offers vital analysis for all of those interested in the future of Iranian politics and the reform movement in the country.

This book explores the history of Irans vigilante groups, their accelerated activity after Muhammad Khatamis 1997 election, and the challenges these groups present to U.S. policymakers interested in gradual rapprochement with Iran.

This book examines the unintended consequences of top-down reforms in Iran, analysing how the Iranian reformist governments (1997–2005) sought to utilise gradual reforms to control independent activism, and how citizens responded to such a disciplinary action. While the governments successfully ‘set the field’ of permitted political participation, part of the civil society that took shape was unexpectedly independent. Despite being a minority, independent activists were not marginal: without them, in fact, the Green Movement of 2009 would not have taken shape. Building on in-depth empirical analysis, the author explains how autonomous activism forms and survives in a semi-authoritarian country. The book contributes to the debate about the implications of elite-led reforms for social reproduction, offering an innovative interpretation and an original analysis of social movements from a political science perspective.

This book examines the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the states of the Persian Gulf from 1979 to 1998. It covers perceptions Iranians and Arabs have of each other, Islamic revolutionary ideology, the Iran/Iraq war, the Gulf crisis, the election of President Khatami and finally the role of external powers, such as the United States. The author argues that over the twenty-year period, the policy has moved from being ideological to pragmatic; and that by tracing its history, we can better anticipate its future relationship.

This book captures the essence of what was an important starting point for the year for Dialogue among Civilizations (2001). Leaders from all continents assembled in September 2000 to share their views on the eve of the historic U.N. Millennium Summit. The political perspectives advanced then were complemented by contributions from personalities drawn from literature, the media, academia, diplomacy and international organizations. 'Dialogue among civilizations' is an essential stage in the founding of a form of human development both sustainable and equitable, humanizing globalization and laying the basis of an enduring peace.

Sheds fresh light on the foreign policy of Iran under President Khatami and into the period of President Ahmadinejad. This work includes topics such as: the influence of the Iranian constitution on its foreign policy, Iran's relations with the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the Arab world, and its involvement in Iraq.