HILLSVILLE, Va. — Some Americans view Iran as a threat or a wild card in the tenuous Middle East. Few have an understanding that comes from the historical perspective of the heart of the former Persian Empire.

Enter Carroll County native Steve Ward.

Ward, who grew up in the Pipers Gap area of the county and graduated from Carroll County High School in 1976, is a senior intelligence analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency whose specialty is Middle East security issues. He has spent years analyzing threats and situations in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Most recently, Ward wrote “Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces,” to shine light on the history of how the Persian and Iranian people have been able to turn back numerous threats in 2,500 years.

Ward said he wrote the book because he couldn’t find anything like it and felt that story needed to be told.

“One of the reasons I wrote it, I had been looking for this book for years,” Ward said. “Nobody else had done it. I thought there was a need for this book. I think history serves a purpose, particularly with the prospect of some kind of conflict between the U.S. and Iran a few years ago a real thing. I saw the gap that if nobody else was going to do it, I might as well.”

Ward said although the dynamics of American diplomacy might be changing in the area, he feels the book remains relevant.

“I was worried about the timeliness of it,” Ward said. “The timeliness turned out really well. Even though the current administration is talking about changing the relationship with the US and Iran, there’s always the concern about the possibility of conflict. I hope the book has good sales.”

The title of the book came from a military tactic first used by the Persians 2,500 years ago.

“The Immortals were a royal guard of 10,000 men established in the fifth century BC by the Persian Emperor Xerxes,” Ward said. “Their losses allegedly were immediately replaced to give the impression of invincibility. Thereafter, almost every Iranian dynasty, including the last Pahlavi shah, created a similar royal guard called the Immortals. I chose Immortal as a title because of this history and because it also describes the Iranian armed forces’ renown and their phoenix-like regenerative capabilities over the centuries.”

Ward said in researching Iran’s military history, many common themes recurred.

“Recognizing that there isn’t direct continuity between ancient Persian armies and today’s Iranian armed forces, I was surprised by the similarities in problems — such as maintaining central authority against competing military forces, the state’s relationship with the religious establishment, and the threats posed by technologically superior enemies — faced by Iranian rulers over the centuries and by their resort to common solutions such as authoritarian government, terrorism, and hit-and-run and scorched-earth tactics through the ages up to today,” Ward said.

Ward said by shining light on Iran’s history, he hoped to enlighten the American public and its point of view.

“When looking at Iran, Americans should avoid our tendency to view potential military adversaries as weak and unworthy or as evil and 10 feet tall, because Iran fits neither category,” Ward said. “’Immortal’ shows that Iran should not be underestimated because its military has retained many historical strengths and is much better prepared and motivated than recent American enemies to upset U.S. military operations. At the same time, the Iranian armed forces suffer from numerous long-standing weaknesses that make Iran very vulnerable to — and reluctant to engage in — a direct conflict with America.”

Following his graduation from CCHS, Ward enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He graduated from the Academy as a Second Lieutenant and served five years of active duty. He joined the CIA in 1985 but kept his Army Reserve commission until 2001. Among his tasks with the CIA, Ward has analyzed the Iran-Iraq war, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ward said when he left Carroll, he had no idea where he wanted his life to go. He found his direction, which he hopes can help shape the point of view of others concerning Iran and its place in American policy.

“When I went out to West Point, I kind of settled on the military in large part because it appealed to me on one level and on another level because I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do with my life,” Ward said. “Spending four years as a cadet and five years on active duty seemed like a good way to spend that time and it would position me if I didn’t want to stay in the military to go get a job. When I left active duty, that was one of the things that helped me get a job as a military analyst.”