In the West, Iran is often mischaracterized as a monolithic pariah state. The reality is more complicated. Iran's drug war, which frequently metes out death sentences for traffickers and has reportedly precipitated thousands of police deaths, reflects the country's commitment to the harsh status quo advocated by American and international drug warriors. Its efforts to treat drug addiction as a public health problem instead of a criminal justice issue, however, are on the cutting edge of progressive harm reduction efforts.