Since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was elected Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1989, the “Triple Principle of Iran’s Foreign Policy: greatness, wisdom, and expediency” has occupied a significant place in his rhetoric. This term can be found both in the Ayatollah’s public speeches and in official documents, including the 5-year development plans for Iran, the 20-year perspective plan for Iran’s development, and the manifesto to the Iranian people, “The Second Step of the Revolution.” In this paper, the author examines the meaning of the term “Triple Principle” and the role it plays in contemporary Iranian diplomacy. Using quantitative and qualitative content analysis, the context of the term’s use in the Supreme Leader’s public speeches and documents concerning Iran’s foreign policy is analyzed. The content analysis makes it possible to identify differences between the abstract theoretical interpretation of the term provided by Khamenei himself and its practical role in the real political subtext.
Iran; Islamic Republic of Iran; Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; Three principles of Iran’s foreign policy; “greatness”; “wisdom”; “expediency”.