The Influence of the Anglo-American Alliance on Shaping Iranian Foreign Policy

Since the 19thcentury, Britishoilinterests and geopoliticalbalancing against Russia positionedIran as a criticalbuffer zone. The Anglo-American-backed1953Operation Ajax generateda traumatic collective memory that formedthe ideological foundation of Iranian foreign policy after the 1979 Revolution. In the post-revolutionary era, Tehran transitioned into a security-oriented state, adopting severe anti-imperialist rhetoric against US and UK. Confronting US economic sanctions, “rogue state” labeling, andnuclearcounter-pressures, Iranbuiltasymmetricresistancemechanisms through the “Shia Crescent” and regional proxy networks. Meanwhile, diplomatic crises with UK, such as the Salman Rushdie affair, further hardened this defensive stance. This study examines how Iran transforms Anglo-American threat perceptions into a source of regime legitimacy and strategic autonomy.