Research Article

Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities

Volume: 11 Number: 1 May 31, 2026
TR EN

Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities

Abstract

This article examines the complexity of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s foreign policy towards the Gulf region during his tenure from 2005 to 2013. Ahmadinejad’s foreign policy discourse combined ideological revolutionary Islamist rhetoric with deliberate confrontational posturing, driven by a dual imperative: to assert Iran’s ideological primacy within the broader Islamic world and to challenge Western hegemony, most conspicuously that of the United States. However, Ahmadinejad’s goals clashed with the strategic realities of regional politics and international diplomacy that led to further sectarian divisions and more sanctions against Iran. This article shows how Ahmadinejad’s Gulf policy with its revolutionary rhetoric has alienated Gulf neighbors and how his regional interventions have deepened geopolitical insecurity. Ultimately, the paper argues that despite ideological fervor, Ahmadinejad’s Gulf policy has been constrained by geopolitical pressures, resulting in regional isolation rather than the impact it envisioned.

Keywords

References

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  3. Ahmadinejad, M. (2005, September 17). Address by H. E. Dr. Mahmood Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. https://www.un.org/webcast/ga/60/statements/iran050917eng.pdf
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Middle East Studies

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

May 31, 2026

Submission Date

September 17, 2025

Acceptance Date

January 20, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 1

APA
Pashayi, M. R., & Kodaman, T. (2026). Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 11(1), 21-41. https://izlik.org/JA32ZL48FF
AMA
1.Pashayi MR, Kodaman T. Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi. 2026;11(1):21-41. https://izlik.org/JA32ZL48FF
Chicago
Pashayi, Mohammad Reza, and Timuçin Kodaman. 2026. “Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities”. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 11 (1): 21-41. https://izlik.org/JA32ZL48FF.
EndNote
Pashayi MR, Kodaman T (May 1, 2026) Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 11 1 21–41.
IEEE
[1]M. R. Pashayi and T. Kodaman, “Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities”, Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 21–41, May 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA32ZL48FF
ISNAD
Pashayi, Mohammad Reza - Kodaman, Timuçin. “Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities”. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 11/1 (May 1, 2026): 21-41. https://izlik.org/JA32ZL48FF.
JAMA
1.Pashayi MR, Kodaman T. Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi. 2026;11:21–41.
MLA
Pashayi, Mohammad Reza, and Timuçin Kodaman. “Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities”. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, vol. 11, no. 1, May 2026, pp. 21-41, https://izlik.org/JA32ZL48FF.
Vancouver
1.Mohammad Reza Pashayi, Timuçin Kodaman. Ahmadinejad’s Gulf Policy: Revolutionary Rhetoric and Strategic Realities. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi [Internet]. 2026 May 1;11(1):21-4. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA32ZL48FF