Axis of Empire - by Afshin Matin-Asgari (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A chronicle of intrigue and influence in the Iran-US entanglement

Ironic plot twists and colorful characters abound in Afshin Matin-Asgari's accessible history of relations between the United States and Iran. The missionaries and educators who descended on Iran in the early nineteenth century made way for the next century's oilmen, CIA agents, scholars, and arms dealers in the assertion of US imperial priorities. Whether Iran resisted or succumbed to US interests, it couldn't fail to be shaped by the superpower.

Matin-Asgari offers fresh takes on familiar topics: America's rise as a Middle East hegemon during the Cold War; the special relationship between Washington and the shah; the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis; the Iran-Iraq war; the Islamic Republic's peculiar anti-imperialism; the decades of onerous American sanctions; Israel's intervention in Iran-US relations; the ascendance of Trump; and the 2025 attempt by the United States and Israel to bring regime change to Tehran.

A labyrinthine tale of American imperial misadven­tures, Axis of Empire incorporates and challenges scholarly narratives while offering a sophisticated yet highly readable account of Iran-US history.

Review Quotes

"In a time when Iran is so often reduced to caricature or demonised, Afshin Matin-Asgari has stepped into the breach to provide a highly nuanced and sophisticated account of US-Iranian relations. Axis of Empire deftly traces two centuries of encounters between Iranians and Americans, weaving together statecraft, culture, and everyday lives in a narrative that is both sweeping and deeply human. The result is a lucid and compelling history that challenges received wisdom and illuminates the complex entanglements of imperial power and resistance. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the troubled but consequential relationship between the United States and Iran."
--Eskandar Sadeghi, School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews

"After decades of learned scholarship, Afshin Matin-Asgari's Axis of Empire finally gives the story of US-Iran relations a bold and precise account of imperial and colonial underpinnings it badly needed. Uniquely positioned to tell this story, Matin-Asgari restores the authority and confidence of a solid critical perspective on a fraught relationship today befuddled by a mudslide of reactionary commotions. This one solid volume saves you from unending miles of useless thunder noise on your newsfeed abusively misinformed by tons of flawed and reactionary Newspeak."
--Hamid Dabashi, author of Iran: A People Interrupted

About the Author

Born in Iran, Afshin Matin-Asgari studied in the United States, where he was active in the 1970s anti-shah student opposition. He returned to Iran to participate in the revolution. He lives in the United States and is Professor of Middle East History at California State University, Los Angeles. Matin-Asgari has published two scholarly monographs and more than two dozen articles and book chapters on modern Iranian political and intellectual history, focusing in particular on leftist thought and movements.