The main research question of this study is to what extent Iran’s defense policies in the post–Iran‑Iraq War period have been influenced by the components of strategic culture. The principal hypothesis of the research is that the defense policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot be explained solely on the basis of material factors, external threats, or geopolitical imperatives; rather, it has been shaped and directed through interaction with a set of beliefs, norms, values, and historical experiences of political and military elites.



This study employs a qualitative method with a descriptive–analytical and historical–political approach. Data were collected and analyzed through library sources, official documents, scholarly articles, and credible reports.



The findings indicate that elements such as the experience of the Iran‑Iraq War, the pursuit of independence, self‑reliance, the persistent perception of threat, the discourse of resistance, distrust toward foreign powers, and the necessity of establishing deterrence constitute the core of the strategic culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the period under study. These components have been reflected in the country’s defense policies through the reconstruction of defense capabilities, the development of defense industries, the strengthening of missile capabilities