The Iranian leviathan : state formation, progress and democracy in Iran

Democracy in Iran has since 1979 been a major preoccupation for the West. Most commentators have failed to see the Iranian revolution as a step towards the establishment of a modern democratic state. This illustrates a profound misunderstanding of different steps in this direction. In three phases contemporary Iranian history reads as a tale of state formation. In the sense that a state needs to be strong enough to democratize, the Iranian twentieth century reads as a long journey towards democracy. In a first phase the State prevailed over concentrations of private, non-statal power like the tribes, the clergy and the bazaar. In a second phase within the State new actors, like civil society or the Islamic armed forces, emerged on new foundations of power. In an ongoing third phase these new actors now battle for domination of the state. The nuclear issue could determine the outcome. The West might have an ace to play, by accepting Iran’s nuclear destiny and a future of both deterrence and further democratization in the country and region.