Assistant Professor, Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
10.22034/jiiph.2026.72715.2641
Abstract
The question of national identity and the ways in which threats to it were defined constitutes an important subject in the modern political history of Iran. During the Pahlavi era, particularly from the 1960s onward, the government, operating within the context of the Cold War and global ideological rivalries, regarded leftism and communism as among the most significant threats to Iran’s national security and identity. This perception persisted despite the fact that, after 1953, leftist movements had become organizationally weak and fragmented as a result of political repression, organizational divisions, and ideological disputes. Employing a historical method and documentary analysis, this study examines the relationship between the Pahlavi state’s security perceptions and the actual condition of leftist movements during the 1960s and 1970s. The research draws primarily on official government documents preserved at the National Library and Archives of Iran, supplemented by historical works and the memoirs of political activists. The central question is how the Pahlavi government, within the framework of its official narrative of national identity, redefined leftism as a fundamental threat. The study hypothesizes that the perceived danger of leftism was shaped less by the actual capabilities of leftist organizations than by the state’s security mentality in the context of the Cold War, concerns over Soviet influence, and efforts to preserve political centralization and Iran’s regional position.
Sheipari, M. (2026). The Pahlavi Regime and the Perceived Threat of Leftism (Between Fear and Reality), 1968–1979. Journal of Iranian Islamic Period History, (), -. doi: 10.22034/jiiph.2026.72715.2641
MLA
Sheipari, M. . "The Pahlavi Regime and the Perceived Threat of Leftism (Between Fear and Reality), 1968–1979", Journal of Iranian Islamic Period History, , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22034/jiiph.2026.72715.2641
HARVARD
Sheipari, M. (2026). 'The Pahlavi Regime and the Perceived Threat of Leftism (Between Fear and Reality), 1968–1979', Journal of Iranian Islamic Period History, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22034/jiiph.2026.72715.2641
CHICAGO
M. Sheipari, "The Pahlavi Regime and the Perceived Threat of Leftism (Between Fear and Reality), 1968–1979," Journal of Iranian Islamic Period History, (2026): -, doi: 10.22034/jiiph.2026.72715.2641
VANCOUVER
Sheipari, M. The Pahlavi Regime and the Perceived Threat of Leftism (Between Fear and Reality), 1968–1979. Journal of Iranian Islamic Period History, 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22034/jiiph.2026.72715.2641
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