American Strategic Studies

American Strategic Studies

The Role of the Tea Party Movement in Shaping the Discourse and Foreign Policy Behavior of the United States toward the Islamic Republic of Iran (2009–2025)

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Ali Nematpour
Assistant Professor, Department of Iran and World Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.47176/asr.1333
Abstract
In recent decades, United States foreign policy has increasingly been influenced by non-state actors and emerging political forces. This article examines the role of the Tea Party movement in shaping U.S. foreign policy discourse and behavior toward the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a manifestation of right-wing political fundamentalism in the United States, the Tea Party was able—through a network of politicians, media institutions, think tanks, and financial backers—to exert significant influence over Republican Party discourse. One of the principal consequences of this influence was the intensification of skepticism toward multilateral diplomacy and nuclear agreements, which was reflected in the Tea Party’s strong opposition to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and its active support for the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran. Drawing on neoclassical realism and security discourse analysis, this study demonstrates that the Tea Party not only contributed to the escalation of U.S. hostility toward Iran, but also played a central role in shaping foreign policymaking processes by influencing the selection of policymakers and decision-making institutions. This research employs the qualitative method of process tracing. The findings indicate that domestic political fundamentalism can lead to the reinforcement of aggressive foreign policy orientations, the erosion of diplomatic capacity, and shifts in geopolitical priorities. This case study underscores the necessity of identifying emerging domestic actors and understanding the discourses that shape public opinion and party structures in order to achieve a comprehensive analysis of states’ external behavior. The objective of this article is to provide a deeper understanding of the complex linkages between domestic and foreign policy within the U.S. political system—linkages that, in the case of Iran, have affected both tactical approaches and the broader conceptual frameworks underlying U.S. perceptions.
Keywords
United States Foreign Policy
Tea Party Movement
Political Fundamentalism
Securitization of Iran
Crisis Diplomacy

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American Strategic Studies
Volume 5, Issue 3 - Serial Number 19
Serial number 19 - Autumn 2025
Autumn 2025
Pages 160-188

  • Receive Date 05 July 2025
  • Revise Date 16 December 2025
  • Accept Date 22 December 2025
  • Publish Date 22 December 2025