Try free for 30 days

Preview
  • Wars of Ambition

  • The United States, Iran, and the Struggle for the Middle East
  • By: Afshon Ostovar
  • Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
  • Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins

1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Wars of Ambition

By: Afshon Ostovar
Narrated by: Fajer Al-Kaisi
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $35.99

Buy Now for $35.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

The September 11 attacks upended America’s relatively strong influence in the Middle East and prompted President George W. Bush’s plan to remake the region through a war in Iraq. By bringing liberal democracy to Iraq, Bush hoped that the country would be a springboard for the spread of democracy to neighboring authoritarian states. Yet the war’s disruption created an opportunity for Iran to advance its own opposing ambitions—one that would turn the Middle East into a bastion of resistance to Western hegemony and bring an end to Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. The resulting clash not only intensified the Iraq War, it reverberated in states across the region. With the outbreak of new conflicts, the US-Iranian showdown became entwined in a much more complex struggle, one which drew in other regional and foreign powers that all pursued differing agendas.

In Wars of Ambition, Afshon Ostovar explores the evolution of the metastasizing conflict as it unfolded over a span of more than two decades. Not just an account of the interaction between America’s Middle East policies and ambitious regional states on the receiving end, it also provides a powerful analysis of conflicting visions of the future that transcend regional politics. With Iran’s rise and its revisionist campaign running in concert with those of Russia and China, the contest for the Middle East has become a microcosm of a larger geopolitical battle between those aiming to preserve the American-led global order and those seeking to overturn it—and thus reflective of an emergent multipolar world.

“Afshon Ostovar is among the most astute Iran scholars of his generation. His thoughtful analysis will enlighten both new students of Iran as well as senior US policymakers.”—Karim Sadjadpour, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

©2024 Oxford University Press (P)2024 Recorded Books
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Wars of Ambition

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.