Maaike Warnaar is Assistant Professor at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies, Netherlands.

"Maaike Warnaar belongs to that rare group of scholars who not only can produce quality research and analysis but who also manage to do so with great empathy and sense of occasion. Not surprising then that her innovative and readable book on Iran's foreign policy is so exciting! Warnaar ably challenges the prevalent Western views of Iran and the conventional wisdom that dominates interpretations of Iranian behavior through sophisticated discourse analysis that exposes the roots of the Islamic republic's political identity and the ideological drivers of its role conception. She effectively says, 'Listen to their voices and you will understand.' One does not have to agree with her conclusions, of course, to appreciate the importance of the argument and recognize the inhibiting analytical consequences of our own assumptions, and, yes, prejudices, about this complex and sophisticated country. This book is commendable and significant scholarship.' Anoush Ehteshami, Professor of International Relations, Durham University, UK and author of Dynamics of Change in the Persian Gulf "This is a brilliant example of how systematic discourse analysis can expose the mindset of foreign policy makers. Maaike Warnaar exposes the hidden world of Iran's leaders, Khamenei and Ahmadinejad, and particularly their obsessions with independence, dignity, and making Iran a model for the third world of resistance to American hegemony." Raymond Hinnebusch, Professor of International Relations and Middle East Studies, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, UK "This study of Iranian foreign policy by Maaike Warnaar is one of the best that I have read in a long time. Warnaar's analysis oozes analytical prowess and conceptual clarity. This book is a must-read for everyone interested in foreign policy analysis in general and Iran's international relations in particular." Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Reader in Comparative Politics and International Relations and Chair of the Centre for Iranian Studies, SOAS, University of London, UK

• Introduction 1. Studying Iranian Foreign Policy – A Constructivist Approach 2. Ideology and Legitimacy During Ahmadinejad's Presidency 3. International Legitimacy – Constraints and Opportunities 4. A Foreign Policy Ideology of Change 5. Iranian Foreign Policy Behavior 2005-2013 6. 'Nuclear Power is Our Right!' – The 2010 Tehran Declaration 7. Foreign Threat and Political Repression Conclusion