Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-264) and index.

Pax Americana in Iran and roots of Anti-Americanism -- Revolutionary Iran's regional policy -- Iran-Iraq war -- Invading Iraq -- Iran's power play in Lebanon -- Iran's enduring alliance with Syria -- Iran's Yemon policy -- Iran's evolving relations with Hamas and the Palestine Islamic Jihad -- Conclusion : Iranian Regional Policies at a Perilous Crossroads

The 1979 Islamic Revolution triggered a cold war between Iran and the United States - former fast friends. Despite the US's relentless efforts at containment, Iran has risen as a formidable power in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza. Its newfound status not only frustrates the US but has swiftly become a thorn in the side of Israel and Saudi Arabia. How did Iran rise so rapidly? And as it faces ever increasing pressure at home and abroad, can it hold onto its power? Mohsen Milani guides us through the twists and turns of the Iran-US rivalry in the battlefields of the Middle East. Going from the fall of the Shah to revolutionary Iran's alliances with Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, and the Houthis in the Axis of Resistance, Milani lifts the veil on Iran's foreign policy strategy and its implications for the region, the US and Iran itself.

Mohsen Milani is a political scientist, foreign policy analyst, public commentator and professor of politics. He has been the executive founding director for the Center for Strategic & Diplomatic Studies at the University of South Florida, since 2013. Milani received his PhD in political science from University of Southern California and completed his research fellowships at Harvard University, Oxford University and Foscari University in Venice, Italy.