Understanding the Security Environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran based on a Systemic Approach

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان

1 Associate Professor in International Relations, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Department of International Relations, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.

چکیده

Understanding the "security environment" is one of the main pillars of countries' security strategy. Unless a country's "security environment" is defined, any security planing will be useless. The "security environment" is usually assessed in terms of threats to that environment, but Shiping Tang in his famous article entitled "systemic Theory of the Security Environment ", offers a new approach to defining the 'security environment'. According to it, the "security environment" is considered as a "system" that is formed by several factors. In this study, while introducing the main parts of Tang’s theory, it examines five indicators "permeability of geographical barriers", "power of State", "behave with self-restraint", "robust constraint behalf international structure (structural constraints)" and "dominance of defense" that he presents about the good security environment of a country, is discussed and while examining the above five indicators, it is concluded that the "security environment" of the Islamic Republic of Iran is good (or desirable) and the likelihood of war is low. The purpose of this study is to apply a system-oriented theory in order to understand the security environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to manage the threats posed by that environment by understanding the "security environment". The necessity of research also stems from the use of a system-oriented approach that has received less attention, because the theoretical effort of researchers has been focused on using the traditional threat-identifying approach in order to understand the security environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

کلیدواژه‌ها

موضوعات


عنوان مقاله [English]

Understanding the Security Environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran based on a Systemic Approach

نویسندگان [English]

  • Ali Adami 1
  • Nima Rezaei 2
1 Associate Professor in International Relations, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Department of International Relations, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
چکیده [English]

Understanding the "security environment" is one of the main pillars of countries' security strategy. Unless a country's "security environment" is defined, any security planing will be useless. The "security environment" is usually assessed in terms of threats to that environment, but Shiping Tang in his famous article entitled "systemic Theory of the Security Environment ", offers a new approach to defining the 'security environment'. According to it, the "security environment" is considered as a "system" that is formed by several factors. In this study, while introducing the main parts of Tang’s theory, it examines five indicators "permeability of geographical barriers", "power of State", "behave with self-restraint", "robust constraint behalf international structure (structural constraints)" and "dominance of defense" that he presents about the good security environment of a country, is discussed and while examining the above five indicators, it is concluded that the "security environment" of the Islamic Republic of Iran is good (or desirable) and the likelihood of war is low. The purpose of this study is to apply a system-oriented theory in order to understand the security environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to manage the threats posed by that environment by understanding the "security environment". The necessity of research also stems from the use of a system-oriented approach that has received less attention, because the theoretical effort of researchers has been focused on using the traditional threat-identifying approach in order to understand the security environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

  • Systemic Theory of Security Environment
  • Geographical Barriers
  • Self-Restraint
  • International Structure
  • Defense
  • Aggression
  1. Adami, A; Rezaei, N (2016). The nature and dimensions of the implicit informal regime of security of the "Islamic Republic" regions In the West Asian region. Quarterly Journal of Political Research in the Islamic World, 6(4): 61-89. [In Persian]
  2. Aradau, C; Van Munster, R (2010). Post-Structuralism, Continental philosophy and the remarking of security studies. In Myriam Dunn Cavelty & Victor Mauer. The Routledge Handbook of security Studies. London & New York: Routledge.
  3. Barnett, M; Duvall, R (2005). Power in International Politics. International Organization, 59(1): 39-75.
  4. Booth, K; Wheeler, N. J (2008 b). Uncertainty. In Paul D. Williams. Security Studies: an introduction. London & New York: Routledge.
  5. Buzan, B; Wæver, O (2003). Regions and powers: The structure of international security. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.
  6. Chernoff, F (2007). Theory and Metatheory in International Relations: Concepts and Contending Accounts. New York & Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
  7. Collins, A (2000). The Security Dilemmas of Southeast Asia. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  8. Cordesman, A. H; Toukan, A (2016). Iran and The Gulf Military Balance. Retrieved from Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Website: https://csis- prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/publication/161004_ Iran_ Gulf_ Military_Balance.pdf.
  9. Cordesman, A. H; Lin, A (2015). The Iranian Sea-Air Missile Threat to Gulf Shipping. Retrieved from Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) website: http://csis.org/files/ publication/150219_Cordesman_Iran Air Sea Missile Threat _Web. pdf
  10. Dougherty, J; Pfaltzgraff, R (2009). Conflicting theories in international relations. Fifth Edition. Translated by Vahid Bozorgi and Alireza Tayeb. Tehran: Qoumes. [In Persian]
  11. Eisenstadt, M (2016). The Role of Missiles in Iran’s Military Strategy. Retrieved from The Washington Institute for Near East Policy Website: http://www. washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-role-of-mis- siles-in-irans-military-strategy
  12. Gharehbeygi, M; Pourali Otikand, S (2018). Analysis of Iran’s International Borders from the Perspective of Stephen Jones. Geopolitics Quarterly, 13(4): 308-334. [In Persian]
  13. Glaser, C. L; Kaufma, C (1998). What Is the Offense- Defense Balance and Can We Measure It? International Security, 22(4): 44-82.
  14. Haji Yousefi, A. M (2008). The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic in the light of regional developments (1991-1991). Third Edition. Tehran: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Printing and Publishing Center. [In Persian]
  15. Hafeznia, M. R (2017). Active Geostrategic Faults in the World. Geopolitics Quarterly, 12(4): 1-12. [In Persian]
  16. Herz, J. H (1950). Idealist Internationalism and the Security Dilemma. World Politics, 2(2): 157–180.
  17. Holsty, J. K (1383). Fundamentals of International Policy Analysis. Fourth Edition. Translated by Bahram Mostaqimi and Masoud Tarom Sari. Tehran: Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [In Persian]
  18. Jervis, R (1978). Cooperation under the Security Dilemma. World Politics, 30(2): 167-214.
  19. Jafari Valdani, A (2006). Seven thousand years of Iranian rule over the islands of Tonb and Abu Musa. Journal of Political Science, 4: 1-26. [In Persian]
  20. Kaplan, M. A (1957). Balance of Power, Bipolarity and Other Models of International Systems. The American Political Science Review, 51(3): 684-695.
  21. Levy, J. S (1984). The Offensive/Defensive Balance of Military Technology: A Theoretical and Historical Analysis. International Studies Quarterly, 28(2): 219-238.
  22. Lieber, K. A (2000). Grasping the Technological Peace: The Offense-Defense Balance and International Security. International Security, 25(1): 71–104.
  23. Lobell, S. E (2010). Structural realism/Offensive and defensive realism. in Robert A. Denemark. The international studies Encyclopedia Volume X. London: Willey-Blackwell.
  24. Mottaqi, I (1376). Developments in American Foreign Policy (1997-1945). Tehran: Islamic Revolution Documentation Center Publications. [In Persian]
  25. Morgenthau, H. J (2004). Politics among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. Translated by Homeira Moshirzadeh, Third Edition, Tehran: Office of Political and International Studies. [In Persian]
  26. Moslehi, H; Rezaei, N (2020). An Introduction to Theories, Schools, and Approaches to "Security": Islam and the West. Tehran: DA Publishing. [In Persian]
  27. Mossalanejad, A (2012). Consequences of security instability on the balance of power in the Middle East. Geopolitics Quarterly, 8(3): 35-59. [In Persian]
  28. Nye, J. S (2008). The Powers to Lead. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  29. Rasouli, M; Shariati, S (2020). Geopolitical analysis of the threat of Boko Haram terrorism in West Africa. Geopolitics Quarterly, 16(3): 203-208. [In Persian]
  30. Reus-Smit, C (2005). Constructivism. In Scott Burchill, Andrew Linklater, Richard Devetak, Jack Donnelly, Matthew Paterson, Christian Reus-Smit and Jacqui True. Theories of International Relations. Third Edition. Hampshire & New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
  31. Rezaei, N; Parto, F (2017). US Intelligence War against the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Nature, Functions, and Means of Countermeasures. Tehran: DA Publishing. [In Persian]
  32. Rezaei, N; Taghavinejad, S. M (2011). US and Iran in strategic confrontation; Iran's countermeasures in a possible war. Tehran: Hourmazd Publishing. [In Persian]
  33. Rezaei, N (2008). Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities; Imagination or reality. Third Edition. Tehran: Hourmazd Publishing. [In Persian]
  34. Rost, B; Starr, H (1992). Global politics. Translated by Seyed amir Ayafat. Tehran: Publishing Organization of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. [In Persian]
  35. Safavi, S. Y (2001). Introduction to the military geography of Iran (south and southeast of the country). Volume III. Tehran: Geographical Organization of the Armed Forces. [In Persian]
  36. Shakouri, A; Vazirian, A. H (2019). Assessing Contemporary Regional Power: A Comparison of the Second Pahlavi and the Islamic Republic. Geopolitics Quarterly, 15(3): 25-57. [In Persian]
  37. Shokouhi, H (2010). Investigating the effective factors in the military zoning of the country. Defense-Strategic Studies, 10(42): 111-140. [In Persian]
  38. SIPRI (2021). SIPRI Arms Transfers Database. Retrieved from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Website: https://armstrade. sipri.org/armstrade/html/ export_values.php.
  39. SIPRI (2020 a). Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product, 1988-2020 (pdf). Retrieved from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Website: https://sipri.org/sites/default/ files/Data%20for%20all%20countries% 20from%201988–2020%20as% 20 a%20share%20of%20GDP%20%28pdf%29.pdf.
  40. SIPRI (2020 b). Military expenditure by country, in constant (2019) US$ m., 1988-2020 © SIPRI 2021(pdf). Retrieved from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Website: https://sipri.org/sites/default/ files/Data%20for%20all%20countries% 20from%201988–2020%20in%20 constant%20%282019%29%20USD%20%28pdf%29 .pdf.
  41. Snyder, G. H (2002). Mearsheimer’s World— Offensive Realism and the Struggle for Security. International Security, 27(1): 149–173.
  42. Tabarizadeh, R; Marei, S. M (2009). Doctrines of the Persian Gulf War (2003-1991). Tehran: AJA Command and Staff College, Davos Publications. [In Persian]
  43. Taliaferro, J. W (2000/01). Security Seeking under Anarchy: Defensive Realism Revisited. International Security, 25(3): 128–161.
  44. Tang, S (2004). A Systemic Theory of the Security Environment. The Journal of Sterategic Studies, 27(1): 1-34.
  45. The International Institution for Strategic Studies (IISS) (2020). The Military Balance 2020: The Annual Assessment of Global Military Capabilities and Defence Economisc. Retrieved from The International Institution for Strategic Studies (IISS) Website: https:// iiss.org /publications/the-military-balance.
  46. The Institute for National Security Studies (2013). Military Balance Files: Iran. Retrieved from The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) Website: http://www.inss.org.il/ uploadimages/ SystemFiles/iran.pdf.
  47. Writer, S (N.d.). What is the definition of a geographical barrier? Retrieved March 16, 2020 from https://www.reference.com/geography/definition-geographical-barrier- 35dcd7baa190133f.
  48. Toukan, A; Cordesman, A. H (2009). GCC - Iran: Operational Analysis of Air, SAM and TBM Forces. Retrieved from Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Website: http://csis.org/files/publication/ 090819 _GCC_Iran_AirPower. Pdf.
  49. Van Evera, E (1998). Offense, Defense, and the Causes of War. International Security, 22(4): 5–43.