no / Andalusiasation is a critical concept in the Islamic Republic’s security discourse that implies the gradual de-Islamisation of cultural structures, which will eventually constitute an existential threat to the political domination of the Islamists. The state displays confidence about its hard power, yet it shows anxiety about the enemy’s cultural invasion. This article examines the widening religio-cultural gap between the state and the grassroots and evaluates the increasing securitisation of the cultural sphere in Iran. / Dr. Afshin Shahi is lecturer in Middle East Politics and International Relations at Bradford University Dr. Alam Saleh is a lecturer in Middle East Politics and International Relations at Exeter University