This book offers a new interpretation of Iran’s nuclear diplomacy (2003–2015) by moving beyond analyses that emphasize domestic politics—political turnover or state identity. It argues that Iranian political elites have developed patterns of response to systemic and geopolitical constraints, with Iran conceptualized as a Pivotal State. These distinct yet structurally constrained patterns, assembled as a Repertoire of Collective Action, have been inherited across successive regime types throughout the twentieth century and continue to shape Iran’s behavior without implying determinism. The study identifies the domestic competition between two enduring strategic narratives as the social mechanism linking this Repertoire to Iran’s various strategic actions. By tracing how these narratives interact with Iran’s position as a Pivotal State, the book offers a compelling framework connecting Iran’s systemic position to its behavior and strategic actions, while providing a in depth account of elite politics within the Islamic Republic.

Dr. Wendy Ramadan-Alban is a Postdoctoral fellow at EHESS, Paris, in International relations. In December 2023, her dissertation was awarded the Prix de la Chancellerie des Universités de Paris in Political Science. She co-authored the chapter “Iran” with Thierry Balzacq in Comparative Grand Strategy: A Framework and Cases (OUP, 2019).