PRESERVING THE SELF: ONTOLOGICAL SECURITY-SEEKING IN IRAN’S FOREIGN POLICY

Abstract

While arguing for taking the “Self” in ontological security theory (OST) as “embodied,” rather than purely subjective, this article argues that ontological security or security of the Self is a key variable informing Iran’s conception of foreign policy. The notion of the embodied Self is based on the observation that in some cases (such as Iran) the “geo-body” is so intimately linked with the self-conception of the state that disregarding it becomes problematic. As to how the Self is viewed in Tehran I explore the “autobiographical narrative” of Iran by identifying four of its elements—namely Islamism, exceptionalism, bounded nationalism, and aspirational revisionism—as forming the basis of Iran’s identity and, hence, its foreign policy preferences. The underlying assumption of this article is that the (embodied) ontological security-based approach to Iran’s foreign policy can facilitate a better understanding of what Iran is and what it wants vis-à-vis the external world.