For over a quarter-century, Iran has been one of America's chief nemeses. But as Ray Takeyh shows in this accessible and authoritative history of Iran's relations with the world since the revolution, behind the famous personalities and extremist slogans is a nation that is far more pragmatic—and complex—than many in the West have been led to believe.

A groundbreaking book that reveals how the underappreciated domestic political rivalries within Iran serve to explain the country's behavior on the world stage. A leading expert explains why we fail to understand Iran and offers a new strategy for redefining this crucial relationship.

Ray Takeyh and Nikolas Gvosdev argue that "Russia’s assault on Georgia may produce no measurable change of its Iran policy."

The events of the past eight years have brought the Middle East to a precipice, write Richard Clarke, Steve Simon, and Ray Takeyh. To deal with this situation, America will need a president of intellectual independence, strategic flexibility and considerable political imagination.

Ray Takeyh discusses the Bush administration’s “hopelessly defective” strategies to mitigate the Iranian nuclear program and offers an alternative.

Iran’s overarching aim is to prevent Iraq from again emerging as a military or ideological threat, argues Ray Takeyh.

Ray Takeyh and Nikolas Gvosdev discuss how the United States can work with countries whose behavior it may not condone.

Ray Takeyh states that, “Whatever the composition of the new Parliament, and whoever succeeds the office of the presidency next year, Iran has entered the age when a single mullah dominates all institutions and arbitrates all debates.”

Charles A. Kupchan and Ray Takeyh argue that “despite the tightening of U.N. sanctions, the West’s efforts to contain Iran are crumbling where it matters most: in the Middle East.”

The path is now to recognize this success and resume our relationship with Iran, says Ray Takeyh.

Ray Takeyh, John D. Podesta and Lawrence J. Korb argue that “the strategic necessities of ending the war have never been more compelling.”

Ray Takeyh and Suzanne Maloney argue that diplomacy with Tehran is crucial.

Mark F. Brzezinski and Ray Takeyh argue that recent developments reinforce caution and firmness as the right way to proceed in Iran.

Vali Nasr and Ray Takeyh write that the NIE may “undermine the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who thrives on international crisis and tension.”

Vali Nasr and Ray Takeyh argue that the U.S. strategy for containing Iran is based on false assumptions.

The Bush administration wants to contain Iran by rallying the support of Sunni Arab states and now sees Iran's containment as the heart of its Middle East policy: a way to stabilize Iraq, declaw Hezbollah, and restart the Arab-Israeli peace process. But the strategy is unsound and impractical, and it will probably further destabilize an already volatile region.

Ray Takeyh, CFR’s top Iranian expert, draws mixed policy messages from the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iran.