Critical Evaluation of the Book Iran's Foreign Policy during the Pahlavi Era (1921–1979)"The Limitations of a Dominant Narrative"

Document Type : Research

Authors

1 Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.Corresponding Author,

2 PhD Candidate in Political Science, University of Tehran.

10.30465/crtls.2026.53944.2995
Abstract
The Pahlavi era is a pivotal period in Iran's contemporary history, during which foreign policy resulted from the interplay of domestic dynamics, elite agency, and international constraints. The book "Iran's Foreign Policy during the Pahlavi Era(1921-1979)" by Houshang Mahdavi provides a coherent narrative of diplomatic developments across this period. This study critically evaluates the book from theoretical, methodological, and content perspectives. The main question is whether this work offers a comprehensive analysis of Pahlavi's foreign policy. The hypothesis suggests that overemphasis on the Shah and elites, neglect of domestic institutions, social forces, and economic-cultural contexts, along with the absence of an explicit theoretical framework, has left the analysis largely descriptive and limited its capacity for causal and multilevel explanation. The theoretical framework draws on multilevel analysis and the multiple-streams model, incorporating individual, institutional, social, and international structural levels. The research employs a descriptive-analytical method with a critical approach, drawing on Mahdavi's book, archival documents, political memoirs, press, and scholarly sources. The findings indicate that critically reassessing this work enables a more precise and comprehensive analysis of Iran's foreign policy during the Pahlavi era.

Keywords

Subjects

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 August 2026

  • Receive Date 01 April 2026
  • Revise Date 07 July 2026
  • Accept Date 26 July 2026