The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran
By Alex Vatanka

“A provocative and intriguing account of the past 40 years of Iranian history told in a way never done before.” - Kenneth M. Pollack, author of The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America“A riveting book, well written and absorbing, tracing political developments in the Islamic Republic since its inception through the ideology of two major players in the IRI, Hashemi-Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Khamenei.” - Haleh Esfandiari Director Emerita and Senior Scholar Middle East Program, Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington DC“This book serves as a testimony to the time-honoured wisdom that a revolution devours its children. It is an essential read for anyone who wishes to understand the complexities and divisions in today's Iran.” - Roya Hakakian, author of Assassins of the Turquoise PalaceUnderstanding the foreign policy agenda and behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a critical challenge for the world. This book explains the policy process in Tehran by following two regime personalities, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who before his death in January 2017 held some of the most powerful political positions in Iran.No two men have been more influential in dictating the regime's decision-making processes since 1979. Yet little is known about how their competing worldviews and interests, their key moments of dispute – both personal or policy-based – or their personal ambitions have informed the trajectory of Iranian politics. The book analyzes Khamenei and Rafsanjani's own words and writings - and accounts of them given by others - to reveal how the domestic policy contest has shaped Tehran's actions on the regional and international stage.Born in Tehran, Alex Vatanka uses primary and secondary Iranian accounts - including untapped memoirs, newspaper reports, and Persian-language electronic media and personal interviews with participants in the events - as his sources. The book highlights the principal rivalries over the lifespan of the Islamic Republic and offers new insights into the present and future of Iranian foreign policy. With Rafsanjani’s death, no one has been able to restrain Khamenei’s appetite for more power and his effort to prolong his legacy long after his own eventual death.