National security imperatives and the neorealist state: Iran and realpolitik.

244 Pages·6.6 MB·en_US

by  Grogan, Michael S.

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NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
Monterey, California
THESIS
NATIONAL SECURITY IMPERATIVES AND THE
NEOREALIST STATE: IRAN AND REALPOLITIK
by
Michael S. Grogan
December 2000
Thesis Co-Advisors: Ahmad Ghoreishi
Glenn E. Robinson
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

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December 2000 Master'sThesis
4.TITLEANDSUBTITLE: Title(Mixcaseletters) 5.FUNDINGNUMBERS
National Security Imperatives and the Neorealist State: Iran and Realpolitik
AUTHOR(S)
6.
Michael S. Grogan
7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATIONNAME(S)ANDADDRESS(ES) I.PERFORMINGORGANIZATION
Naval Postgraduate School REPORTNUMBER
Monterey, CA 93943-5000
9.SPONSORING/MONITORINGAGENCY NAME(S)ANDADDRESS(ES) 10.SPONSORING/MONITORING
N/A AGENCY REPORTNUMBER
11.SUPPLEMENTARYNOTES Theviewsexpressedinthis thesisarethoseoftheauthoranddonotreflect theofficial policyor
positionoftheDepartmentofDefenseorthe U.S. Government.
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13. ABSTRACT(maximum 200words) —
This thesis argues that pragmatic, neorealist interests reducing Iran's international isolation,
opening avenues for economic cooperation and commercial exchange, restoring religious and cultural
links, —and safeguarding the mutually advantageous relationships with influential powers in the
region are the true foundations of Iranian national security and foreign policy decisionmaking.
— —
Iran's imperative has been and still is focused on the pragmatic national security interests of the
nation-state model vice the ideological potential for spreading its brand of Islamic revolution abroad.
The causes ofthese Islamic revolutionary groups, no matter how noble in the Iranian leaderships' eye,
do not outweigh the more classic nation-state decisionmaking process that the Iranian government
undergo—es when it determines the best course of action on an issue of foreign policy and/or national
security or realpolitik. It is the neorealist approach which always wins out in national security
matters of a state. Presented are four case studies of Iranian relations with Azerbaijan, Turkey, Israel,
and four Persian Gulf States (the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia). What
each reveals is an Islamic Iran whose policy decisions and actions compelled by the rational, state
model ofneorealism and not ideology.
14. SUBJECTTERMS 15.NUMBEROF
Middle East, Persian Gulf, Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the PAGES lni->br
United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Israel, Arab-Israeli Peace Process, Neorealism, Balance of
Power, Alliances, National Security Policy 16. PRICECODE
17.SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18.SECURITY 19.SECURITY 20. LIMITATION
OFREPORT CLASSIFICATIONOFTHIS CLASSD7ICATIONOF OFABSTRACT
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NSN7540-01-280-5500 StandardForm298(Rev.2-89)
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Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
NATIONAL SECURITY IMPERATIVES AND THE NEOREALIST STATE:
IRAN AND REALPOLITIK
Michael S. Grogan
Major, United States Marine Corps
B.S., Pennsylvania State University, 1985
M.A., American Military University, 1995
Submitted in partial fulfillment ofthe
requirements for the degrees of
MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
and
MASTER OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND
CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS
from the
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
December 2000
2.000 fct&oz?-*'
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