Between Doctrines: Emerging Patterns in the Relations among Israel, Iran, and United States, 19641968

This book shows how Washington moved from setting conditions and holding support to relying on regional partners as Israel and Iran increasingly shaped U.S. policy. Through deep archival research, Between Doctrines explores the Johnson administration’s policy towards Iran and Israel and reveals new insights into the close collaboration between these countries and their coordination of strategies vis-à-vis the United States. It contributes to a growing body of literature allocating relevant agency to the “smaller” US allies in the Cold War by arguing that Iran and Israel, both together and apart, intentionally impacted US policy concerning them and ultimately shaped their own trajectories with the great power and within their Middle Eastern context. The analysis tracks how Israeli and Iranian leaders worked in parallel through oil, arms, and intelligence exchanges, covert operations against shared Arab adversaries, and coordinated lobbying to widen U.S. thresholds on weapons sales and reframe the region’s core threats. By weaving together the three bilateral relationships, Between Doctrines reframes the Johnson years as the shift from conditional restraint in arms sales to delegated security backed by expanded arms transfers. It offers a fresh synthesis for scholars and students of international history, Cold War strategy, Middle East politics, and security studies.