Heinz Gärtner is lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the University of Vienna and at Danube University. Mitra Shahmoradi is a freelance artist, painter, poet and art educator in Vienna.

• Preface Preface in Farsi Introduction Part 1: USA and Vienna Nuclear Agreement 1 Iran’s Relations with the United States: Current Conditions in Historical Perspective 2 The Iranian Threat: The Construction of Insecurity 3 The fate of the JCPOA Part 2: Iranian economy: crippled and resilient 4 Iran’s Endogenous Role in the International Economic System 5 The Impact of Economic Sanctions on the Iranian Middle Class Part 3: Eurasian perspectives on Iran 6 Iran and Europe: The never-ending hope for strong and efficient relations 7 Irans’s unequal partners: Russia and India 8 The Iranian Nuclear Issue and China: Sino-Iranian Interactions Within and Beyond the UNSC Part 4: Revolution and Society 9 Iran and the International Order: Historic Transitions and New Challenges 10 Transparent Veil 11 Iran before the revolution: some considerations concerning socio-cultural aspects of urban life in the Sixties of the past century Conclusions

"The risk of conflict between Iran and the United States is real and growing. This timely collection of excellent essays helps explain why. A diverse set of international experts analyze the complex history of U.S.-Iranian relations, the impact of sanctions on the Iranian economy and domestic politics, and the possible fate of the Iran nuclear deal. Most importantly, the authors present creative ideas about how best to reduce these risks." - Scott D. Sagan