For Immediate Release, October 18, 2010
Contact: Allison Sturma, 202/429-4725    Meg Pierannunzi, 202/429-4736

(Washington) - On October 18 the United States Institute of Peace Press will release “The Iran Primer: Power, Politics, and U.S. Policy,” an online resource that provides a comprehensive but concise overview of Iran’s politics, economy, military, foreign policy and nuclear program. A print version will be available December 1. “The Iran Primer” is a joint product of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars.

Edited by Robin Wright, this compendium provides top-level briefings by 50 seasoned experts on Iran (both Iranian and Western authors) from some twenty foreign policy think tanks, eight universities, and six U.S. administrations. The authors present a wide range of views, offering factual information for ready reference, thoughtful analysis and context. Since Iran’s 1979 revolution, the West has struggled to understand what drives the Islamic Republic and how to deal with it. The challenge now looms even larger in the face of Iran’s controversial nuclear program, the disputed 2009 election, growing human rights violations and angry rhetoric.

“For Americans, Iran is one of the most stereotyped and least understood countries in the world. Relations have been cut off since shortly after the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy. Three decades later, the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program is sparking even deeper debates on policy,” said Wright. “Iran has always been an important geostrategic country, but today it represents a more complex challenge than other hotspots—Afghanistan, Iraq and North Korea—for several reasons: The Islamic Republic will be pivotal to global events in the early 21st century because of its resources, ideology, weaponry, allies and location.”

Featuring 50 aspects of this pivotal state, "The Iran Primer":

• lays out little-known facts on Iran and provides analysis of key events, trend lines, major leaders and political movements;
•  details Iran’s foreign relations with a dozen nearby countries or regions
• chronicles U.S.-Iran relations under six American presidents from the perspective of those who crafted the policy;
• probes the West’s options in dealing with Iran in the future; and,
• offers extensive appendices, including a who’s who of Iran’s political elite and four detailed timelines on key events since the 1979 revolution.  

This briefing book is a practical and accessible “go-to” resource for practitioners, policymakers, academics, and students, as well as a fascinating wealth of information for anyone interested in understanding Iran’s pivotal role in world politics. 

To access the online component, please go to www.iranprimer.com. The printed product will be available December 1 at bookstore.usip.org.