Khatami's Iran: The Islamic Republic and the Turbulent Path to Reform (International Library of Iranian Studies)

To understand contemporary Iran’s notoriously complex politics, it is essential first to grasp the monumental changes initiated by Mohammad Khatami. This previously little-known cleric stormed to victory in Iran’s 1997 presidential elections with nearly 70% of the vote, encouraging Iran’s reform movement to flourish during his eight-year tenure as president. Ghoncheh Tazmini’s book offers a thought-provoking, astutely close-up yet systematic analysis of Khatami the man and the reform movement that supported him. She provides us with the first insight into Khatami and his politics, unravelling from the inside the dramatic emergence and consequences of Iran’s vibrant reform movement. Balanced and analytical, this book provides a comprehensive and finely detailed introduction to the subtleties of contemporary Iran’s complex political culture. At the same time, it is an important reference point for a critical period of Iran’s post-revolutionary trajectory, especially given the controversial post-Khatami developments in the country following the election of President Ahmadinejad.