The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Revolution in Military Affairs: Normative Origins

Document Type : Iran's foreign policy

Authors

1 Graduated, Department of Regional Studies, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

It has been nearly a decade that Iran's regional policies have been drawn the attention of a range of intra-and-extera regional actors. The main concern of these actors are Iran's military measures, which are included in the strategic literature under the category of Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). Due to the fact that Iran is part of the Middle East region, which has experience tremendous changes in the last decade, have added to the complexity and greatly affected the calculations of the actors involved in the region. This research, by raising the question that "What is the normative origin of the revolution in the military affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran?", intends to provide a normative explanation of Iran's military policies, contrary to the approaches of the mainstream of the International Relations. The findings of this article are based on the proposition that the national and religious ideas of Iranians have made the pursuit of RMA inevitable, and in other words, this phenomenon originated from the basis of Iranian identity. On this basis, idealism, independence, xenophobia, cosmopolitanism, and self-reliant emerged from national ideas that combined with the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution and synergism with religious foundations, including anti-arrogance, defense of the oppressed, the principle of Nay-e-Sabil, and the predominance of Good over Evil in the military arena. This article has a descriptive-analytical nature and library resources have been used to collect data

Keywords

Smiley face

References

Abrahamian, E. (1990). Conspiracy Theory in the political culture of Iranians. 10th book. Kankash. [In Persian]
Alsen, J. A. (2005). Asymmetric War (Air Power). Translators Group. first edition. Center for Defense and National Security Studies, Supreme War of the IRGC. [In Persian]
Asghari, M. (2009). Examining the defense thought of Imam Khomeini. Andisheh magazine, Vol. 15(2), pp. 4-20. [In Persian]
Ashraf, A. (1995). Conspiracy Illusion, Goftogu Magazine, Vol. 1(8), pp. 45-47. [In Persian]
Asil, H. (2013). Utopia in Iranian thought. Nashr-e Ney. [In Persian]
Bacevich, A. J. (1997). Tradition Abandoned: America's Military in a New Era, The National Interest, vol. 48 (2), pp. 16-25.
Bagheri, K. (1387). Science (experimental religion). Secretariat for supporting theorizing, criticism and debate chairs.
Barzanooni, M. A. (2005). Islam, Principality of war or Principality of peace?. International Law Review, Vol. 22 (1), pp. 157-173. [In Persian] 10.22066/CILAMAG.2005.17972
Cain, A. C. (2002). Iran's Strategic Culture and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Implications for US Policy. The US: Air War College. [In Persian]
Cochran,  M. (2009). Normative Theory in International Relations: A Pragmatic Approach. Cambridge University Press. [In Persian]
Dehghani Firouzabadi, S. J. (2006). Identity and interest in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Strategic Studies Research Institute. [In Persian]
Dehghani Firouzabadi, S. J. (2009). Foreign Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. 3rd edition, Samt. [In Persian]
Dunne, T., Kurki, M., & Smith, S. (Eds.). (2021). International relations theories: Discipline and diversity. Oxford University Press, USA.
Eral, T. H. (2013). The Revolution Military Affairs: Prospects and Cautions, Strategic Studies in Stitute. [In Persian]
Fuller, G. (2013). The center Of The Universe: The Geopolitics Of Iran, translated by Abbas Mokhbar, second edition, Nahr-e-Markaz. [In Persian]
German, T. (2023). Learning the wrong lessons: Russian views of the changing character of conflict. In War changes everything: Russia after Ukraine. NATO Defence College.
Ghafari, M. and Shariati, S. (2007). The Foundations of Idealism in Iranian Political Culture. Culture Strategy, Vol. 1 (3), pp.65-84 . [In Persian]
Gheysari, N., and Khezri, E. (2017). Defense Policy of Islamic Republic of Iran; Check Macro Documents. The Islamic Revolution Approach, Vol. 10(37), pp. 57-74. [In Persian]
Gotz, N. and Christian Atwardt (2008). “The Revolution in Military Affairs, its driving forces Elements and Complexities”, Institute for peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg.
Habibi, E., Aghadavood Jolfaei, S. R., & Valikhani Dehaghani, M. (2024). Anticipating the management model of asymmetric wars in the field of defense of popular forces. Futures Studies Of The Islamic Revolution, 5(1), 223-252. [In Persian]
Imam Ali. Nahj al-Balagha [In Persian]
Imam Khamenei, S. A. (1990). Statements in the meeting of military and law enforcement commanders. https://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=2410 [In Persian]
Imam Khamenei, S. A. (2001). Statements in the meeting of the families of the martyrs of Kashan, Aran and Bidgol, https://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=3093 [In Persian]
Imam Khamenei, S. A. (2008). Nowruz message of the leader of the revolution on the occasion of the year 2008, https://farsi.khamenei.ir/message-content?id=287 [In Persian]
Imam Khamenei, S. A. (2010). Statements at the meeting of the Basij members of the academics of universities, https://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=9640 [In Persian]
Imam Khamenei, S. A. (2014). Statements in the meeting of officials and ambassadors of Islamic countries, https://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=27114 [In Persian]
Imam Khamenei, S. A. (2015). Statements at the Imam Hossein University, https://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=33172 [In Persian]
Imam Khamenei, S. A. (2016). Statements at the meeting of the members of the Islamic Development Coordination Council, https://farsi.khamenei.ir/speech-content?id=38575 [In Persian]
Imam Khomeini, S. R. (2000), Sahifeh-Ye Imam, volume 2. Institute for compilation and publication of Imam Khomeini's works. [In Persian]
Imam Khomeini, S. R. (2000), Sahifeh-Ye Imam, volume 20. Institute for compilation and publication of Imam Khomeini's works. [In Persian]
Imam Khomeini, S. R. (2000), Sahifeh-Ye Imam, volume 21. Institute for compilation and publication of Imam Khomeini's works. [In Persian]
Imam Khomeini, S. R. (2000). Sahifeh-Ye Imam, volume 10. Institute for compilation and publication of Imam Khomeini's works. [In Persian]
Imam Khomeini, S. R. (2000). Sahifeh-Ye Imam. volume 18. Institute for compilation and publication of Imam Khomeini's works. [In Persian]
Jamshidi, M. H. (2001). The Basics and History of Military Thought in Iran. Revolutionary Guards Corps Command and Headquarters Faculty. Vice-Chancellor of Research. [In Persian]
Karamnia, R. (2016). A strategic defense model based on the defense thought of Imam Khomeini. National Defense University. [In Persian]
Katouzian, H. (2020). “Iran’s Long History and Short-Term Society”. International Journal of New Political Economy, Vol. 1(1), 23-34.
Kauppi, M. V., & Viotti, P. R. (2023). “International relations theory”. Rowman & Littlefield.
Kauppi, M. V., & Viotti, P. R. (2023). International relations theory. Rowman & Littlefield.
 (4), pp. 158-185. [In Persian]
Mosallanejad, A. (2008). Political Culture of Iran. Farhang Saba. [In Persian]
Öztürk, Z. A. (2023). "Normative International Relations Theory Today” in Tayyar Ari, Critical Theories in International Relations: Identity and Security Dilemma, Rowman & Littlefield.
Qaderi, H. (1999), Other thoughts, Nashr e Boaqeh. [In Persian]
Rajaee, F. (1996), The Evolution of Political Thought in the Ancient East. Ghoomes Publishing Company. [In Persian]
Rajaee, F. (2012). Iranian Ideology and Worldview: Cultural Export of the Revolution. Baaz Publications. [In Persian]
Ramazani, R. (2009) Understanding Foreign Policy of Iran. A Quarterly Journal of Foreign Relaitons, Vol. 1 (1), pp. 11-20, [In Persian] (20.1001.1.20085419.1388.1.1.1.6
Rashidzadeh, F. (2014). Military Security in Imam Khamenei’s Discourse (i.e., the Supreme Commander-in-Chief; may His shadow extend). Military Management Quarterly, 14(54), 29-70. [In Persian]
Rezaei Mirghaed, J., Shahabi, R., & Akbarzadeh, F. (2023). Compilation of the strategic model of the sanctions policies of the United States towards the Islamic Republic of Iran with an emphasis on three major security discourses (Joe Biden's presidency). Security Horizons, 16(59), 37-63. [In Persian]
Seliktar, O., & Rezaei, F. (2020). “Iran, Revolution, and Proxy Wars”. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Seyyed Qutb, (1989). Islam and World Peace, translated by Zain al-Abidin Ghorbani and Hadi Khosrowshahi, Islamic Culture Publishing. [In Persian]
Shafeghat, A., Elyasi, M., Bamdadsoofi, J., & Tabatabaiean, S. H. (2016). Qualitative Analysis of Innovation System from the Perspective Discourse of Islamic Revolution in the Defense Industry. Journal of Improvement Management, 10(2), 71-85. [In Persian]
Smith, K. (2009). “Constructing Africa (ns) in International Relations Theory”. Paper Presented to the Annual Meeting of ISA-Abreact Puc-Rio De Janiro, Brazil.
Tilford H. E. (1995). “The Revolution Military Affairs: Prospects and Cautions”, Strategic Studies institute.
Torabi, G., and Rezaee, A. (2012). Strategic culture of Islamic Republic of Iran: Affirmative context and principle criteria. Strategic Studies Quarterly, 14(54), 135-162. [In Persian] 20.1001.1.17350727.1390.14.54.6.4
Zargar, A. (2007). Normative Theory of International Relations in the Contemporary World. Foreign Policy Quarterly, Vol 21 (3), pp. 599-636. [In Persian].
State Studies of Contemporary Iran
Volume 10, Issue 1
June 2024
Pages 164-141

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 21 April 2024
  • Revise Date: 01 June 2024
  • Accept Date: 01 June 2024

Share

How to cite

Statistics