New researches in Islamic humanities studies

New researches in Islamic humanities studies

The Impact of Political Elites’ Political Culture on Nuclear Decision Making in Iran during the Justice Oriented (Ahmadinejad) and Moderation Oriented (Rouhani) Presidencies

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ehsan Yousefi 1
Mohammad Tohidfam 2
Kayhan Barzegar 1
1 Department of Political Science and International Relations, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Political Science - Political Thought and Iranian Issues, CT.C, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/api.2026.2086862.1686
Abstract
Objective: To examine the influence of the political culture of elites during the Conservative (Osoul‑garayi) and Moderate (Etedal) administrations on the evolution of Iran’s nuclear file, and to address the question of how the type of political culture among elites in each period shaped the country’s nuclear policymaking.
Method: The study employs an analytical descriptive approach. By analyzing the dominant political discourses of the Conservative and Moderate periods, it investigates how the political culture of elites affected nuclear decision‑making. The article’s hypothesis is based on comparing patterns of foreign policy behavior and nuclear approaches across the two administrations.
Results: The findings indicate that Iran’s nuclear approach during the Conservative period was grounded in confrontation, resistance, and challenging the international order. By contrast, the Moderate period focused on the rapid resolution of the nuclear issue, the restoration of damaged foreign relations, and the swift attainment of economic and political benefits. The study further shows that in both periods, the nuclear file was shaped by the deep‑rooted and historically embedded political culture of Iranian elites, which has been intertwined with the overarching discourse of the Islamic Revolution.
Conclusions: Iran’s nuclear file has been significantly influenced by the political culture of elites, and discursive differences between the Conservative and Moderate periods produced two distinct approaches to managing it. Overall, the historical political culture of elites, combined with the hegemonic discourse of the Revolution, has directed and shaped the main orientations of Iran’s nuclear policy across different periods.
Keywords
Political Elite Culture
Discourse Analysis
Decision Making
Nuclear File
Foreign Relations
Subjects
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New researches in Islamic humanities studies
Volume 4, Issue 8 - Serial Number 8
December 2025
Pages 1-24