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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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Middle East Studies
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Timuçin Kodaman
0000-0001-5559-983X
Türkiye
Publication Date
May 31, 2026
Submission Date
September 17, 2025
Acceptance Date
January 20, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 1