An Alternative View of the Foundation of IR of Iran's Foreign Relations: Its Strategic Culture (1979-1989)

Iran’s strategic culture in the immediate post-revolution era, i.e., the first decade after the formation of the Islamic Republic, is highly reflected in and influenced by the late leader of the Revolution, Imam Khomeini, as the major decision-maker in the country. This article seeks to discover the main components and features of Iran’s strategic culture in this period through a study of thirty three speeches of Imam Khomeini. These speeches are analyzed in order to show the cognitive map of Imam Khomeini. It is assumed that this cognitive map can reveal the connections among various factors that would lead to peace and security. The map shows a distinctive approach to threat and defense. Although components such as emphasis on national power, military strength, national spirit, and popular support are more conventional, elements such as the will of God, martyrdom-seeking, justice-seeking, and the like give this culture a particular distinctiveness. It is argued that this distinctiveness can be seen as a basis for an Iranian theory of security.