Outside In? Iran’s Mixed Responses to International Stigmatization
Dr Evaleila Pesaran publishes new open-access paper
Dr Evaleila Pesaran is Senior College Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge, where she is also Director of Studies for Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS) and for History and Politics. Having joined the College in 2007, she has played a central role in both its academic and pastoral life. Beyond Cambridge, she is a Trustee and Outreach Director of the British Institute for Persian Studies (BIPS), as well as Area Editor for “Politics and Activism” in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Gender and Women’s History.
Her newly published article, “Outside In? Iran’s Mixed Responses to International Stigmatization” (Iranian Studies, 2026), examines Iran’s position within the international order through the lens of hierarchy and stigma. The paper traces how, since 1979, Iran has been cast as a pariah state, subject to long-term US sanctions, labelled part of the “axis of evil,” and more recently exposed to direct military bombardment. Dr Pesaran explores how these processes of stigmatization contribute to the social construction of the international system, distinguishing between states deemed “inside” and “outside” the community of legitimate international actors.
At the same time, the paper highlights the complexity of Iran’s responses: while at times accepting or even embracing its outsider status, the Iranian state has also sought recognition and legitimacy within the global order. By analysing these mixed strategies, Dr Pesaran offers new insights into how international stigmatization can reshape global hierarchies themselves. Her expertise on Iran and international politics is regularly sought by the media, and she has recently appeared on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Heart Radio, and the BBC World Service discussing protests in Iran and their wider international implications.