Extended Abstract     
Introduction
"The geopolitical transformations and events of the 21st century have fundamentally altered many related concepts. The rise of globalization alongside factors such as technological advancements, information revolutions, and shifts in the global power system have transformed the concept of national security. These phenomena, along with increased public awareness, have shifted security from a hardware-oriented concept to a software-oriented one. Parallel to these tangible and mental transformations, in the theoretical realm, scholars have reformed their perspectives and theories on security matters. However, many security theories, especially the two main schools of realism and liberalism along with their branches such as structural realism and neoliberal institutionalism, have failed to adequately explain and elucidate many national and international security policies. These theories, by emphasizing the structural impacts on national policies (structural realism) and ascribing self-made national interests of governments (neoliberalism), lack the predictive power of national interests for political units (governments). This issue notably presents itself more prominently in the analysis of the national security policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially during transitional periods. Many researchers, while either unable to explain the national security policies of the country by presuming systemic theoretical assumptions (neo-realism or neoliberalism), or in most cases, label them contrary to national interests (presumed). Realist and liberal perspectives in explaining the national security policies of countries such as Iran, particularly in current conditions, primarily consider the position of states within the international structural environment merely based on their physical capabilities. Secondly, they regard the similar influence of institutional constraints on state interests as definite, portraying states as rational actors driven solely by interests and by emphasizing the rationality of instrumental actors and marginalizing the meaningful-identity and normative realities, they emphasize the selectivity of actors within international structures or institutions. However, the study of the interests and national security policy of a country like the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially in current transitional conditions, demands a different type of theoretical approach. Considering these points, this study employs a constructivist theory to analyze and examine the effects of shared symbolic structures, ideas, norms, and values, and 'identity' on the 'National Security Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran' in the current international system."
Methodology
"The method of research refers to the techniques or actual procedures for gathering and analyzing data. The methodology employed in this research is descriptive-analytical. Given that the macro approach for dissecting and analyzing data is non-statistical, it is approached descriptively and argumentatively within the framework of the indicators of the constructivist approach and its central premise, namely identity, foundations, and geo-cultural outcomes of the Iranian society. In this regard, initially, to understand the societal construct of identity and the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the fundamentals and elements constituting the internal cultural-normative environment were examined. From within these, the impactful geo-cultural outcomes on the national security policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the transition in the international system have been examined and analyzed."
Result and Discussion
Iranian geo-culture emerges from the foundations of Iranian cultural-identity in three main domains: geography (language, location, race, resources, etc.), history (events, transitions, mythology), and religion. It spans across four cultural-identity layers: Ancient Iran, Shiite Islam, Modernism, and the Islamic Revolution, each with its significant place in the cultural, historical, geographical, and religious dimensions. Iranian identity, owing to Iran's unique geographical position, has been influenced by three Iranian civilizational spheres: Iranian, Islamic, and Western, continuously maintaining a mixed or amalgamated structure, observed in its amalgamation of elements like 'Iranian identity,' 'Islamic,' and 'Western modernism' at a general level. The manifestation of these three elements has constructed contemporary Iranian identity. Consequently, Iranian identity has always evolved due to historical, political, and social reasons, while the multiple and conflicting dimensions have resulted in a multifaceted Iranian identity, implying complexity and development. Iranians have drawn from pre-Islamic thoughts while adopting Islam, indicating a shared historical and geographical mindset, termed as 'Iranian identity,' which has remained resilient despite historical changes. Alongside this identity, Islamic culture and religious frameworks have intertwined, each reinforcing the other. A crucial point regarding the national Iranian identity is that it's not solely Iranian or Islamic but rather an Iranian-Islamic identity. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, due to the alignment of governance discourse with the societal religious identity, religious discourse has exerted a greater influence on Iran's cultural and political identity than other elements. Regarding the impact of Iranian cultural-identity layers and geo-culture on Iran's foreign policy and national security, it should be noted that Iran's geopolitical realities have influenced its geo-cultural foundations, deriving from its historical, Shiite Islamic, modern, and post-Islamic revolution foundations. Additionally, Iranian cultural factors are undergoing change and transformation in the transitional phase of the international system, affecting the formations and dynamics of Iranian cultural identity and potentially paving the way for a new discourse in its cultural identity.
Conclusion
In this study, the influential foundations and outcomes of Iran's geo-culture on the national security policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the transitional period of the international system have been examined and analyzed. The theoretical framework of this research is constructivism, with its central focus being on identity. Since cultural and identity constructs are the central theme of the constructivist theory, the geo-cultural (cultural-identity) resources of Iran have been elucidated and explained to comprehend and analyze the national security policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the transitional phase of the international system. This effort aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the country's national security policy to pursue appropriate strategies in positioning the country's geopolitical weight and its status in line with the material and spiritual capabilities within the forthcoming global order. To articulate and elaborate on the aspects of Iranian geo-culture, three fundamental steps have been undertaken: The first step delves into the foundations of Iranian geo-culture. The subsequent step dissects the four-layered cultural-identity elements of Iran, which have been the bedrock of Iranian culture and identity. The final step scrutinizes the cultural-identity outcomes of Iran, encompassing: Iranian spirit and Iran-centricity Idealism Non-submission and assertiveness for independence Distrust of the foreign Iranian re-evaluation and aspiration for superiority Justice-seeking and aversion to oppression Endurance and resilience Adaptation and interaction in foreign relations Pursuit of national interest These cultural-identity outcomes have been studied and analyzed as influential factors on the national security policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Overall, it can be stated that the Iranian identity, a product of the Iranian cultural-identity foundations, has been produced, reproduced, and reconstructed over time across the layers of ancient Iranian, Islamic-Shiite, modernism, and the Islamic Revolution."