Revenge Is a Central Pillar of Iranian Foreign Policy

Excerpt In Middle Eastern societies, seeking revenge is an acceptable way for men to cope with grief and wounded pride from the violent loss of loved ones. Since 1979 this approach has also been an important part of Iran’s foreign policy. The export of the revolution, the assassination of antiregime expatriates, and terrorism against foreign enemies are means to get even for the injuries, real or imagined, the West has inflicted on Iran and Islam. There are many reasons Donald Trump’s search for a diplomatic solution to the Iran war is unlikely to succeed, but high among them is that such a denouement wouldn’t satisfy a vengeance-seeking Iranian elite. Even if Mr. Trump were to surrender—meaning Washington unfreezes Iranian assets, acknowledges Tehran’s “right” to impose levies on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and lifts the blockade on Iran’s shipping and ports—it would likely encourage the Islamic Republic to seek more than the president’s humiliation. Mr. Gerecht is a resident scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Mr. Takeyh is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Issues: