A close examination of Iran’s defense policy and its carefully crafted and developed asymmetric warfare doctrine since the early 1980s points to a great deal of pragmatism and flexibility and a willingness to adjust to the changing strategic environment. The strategy has pursued four major goals: To ensure regime survival, to protect the homeland, to deter potential enemies, and to project power. In pursuing these broad objectives, the republic’s core priorities have been influenced by a combination of geopolitical forces, ideological orientation, and the revolutionary elite’s definition of security and threat perceptions.