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Otherising Iran in American political discourse: case study of a post-JCPOA senate hearing on Iran sanctions

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  • Elham Kadkhodaee
  • Zeinab Ghasemi Tari

Abstract

Using van Dijk’s critical discourse analysis, this paper attempts to analyse the ways in which the Islamic Republic of Iran is constructed as a security threat in US congressional hearings. The article is based on the case of the two-day congressional hearing on post-JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) held by the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, on 24–25 May 2016. The session was presumably held to examine ‘sanctions relief’ provided to Iran; however, the study reveals that through the use of discursive tools such as lexical style and argumentation, Iran is framed and evaluated as a security threat to (1) the US; (2) US allies, specifically Israel; and (3) the international community. This construction reflects the established political and ideological stereotypes and also orientalist clichés which have led to Otherisation and vilification of Iran. Therefore, by representing Iran as an ‘irrational’, ‘radical’ and ‘barbaric’ entity, the US discrimination against Iran through sanctions and other unilateral political decisions is legitimised and justified.

Suggested Citation

  • Elham Kadkhodaee & Zeinab Ghasemi Tari, 2019. "Otherising Iran in American political discourse: case study of a post-JCPOA senate hearing on Iran sanctions," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(1), pages 109-128, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:ctwqxx:v:40:y:2019:i:1:p:109-128
    DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2018.1513786
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    Cited by:

    1. Mohsin Hassan Khan & Farwa Qazalbash & Hamedi Mohd Adnan & Lalu Nurul Yaqin & Rashid Ali Khuhro, 2021. "Trump and Muslims: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Islamophobic Rhetoric in Donald Trump’s Selected Tweets," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440211, March.

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