Security Outlook of Iran Under Ahmadinejad
Security Outlook of Iran Under Ahmadinejad* Bayram Sinkaya June 5, 2007 Abstract Developments in the aftermath of September 11 have profoundly influenced Iranian politics. Initially, Iran’s security environment has totally changed. For Iran, hostile regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq were replaced by another hostile power that is more efficient; the United States. In addition to the US military presence in the Persian Gulf prior to the Iraq war of 2003, this new environment posed a notable security challenge to Iran. Increasing security challenges for Iran led to the consolidation of establishment regarding domestic politics in Iran which culminated in neo-conservatives’ ascent to power. This paper is aimed at analyzing the change in security challenges for Iran, and discussing Iran’s responses to the new security challenges. Introduction Sources of and reasons for security challenges for Iran could be analyzed in two categories. Firstly, structural reasons wh
