Download or read book Iranian Strategic Influence written by W.A. Rivera and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-11-26 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the strategic culture of resistance has dominated Iran’s strategic objective and foreign policy preference formation. Iran is a revisionist state that lacks overwhelming military and economic dominance in its near abroad, as such two pillars have emerged to support and export their strategic culture of resistance. These are Adaptive Resistance (pragmatism) and Designed Redundancy (deniability and insulation). These two themes of resistance provide content and structure to their strategic Influence campaigns, where “strategic Influence is the use of the elements of national power—diplomatic, military, economic, with and through information—to shape the information and operational environment in order to erode the will of the enemy…. This ‘new’ way of war is predicated on building narratives, activating identities, mobilizing proxies, and disorienting targets through the use of information in service of strategic goals.” Strategic influence is the way in which elements of the strategic culture of resistance are executed in Iran’s near abroad. To combat and defeat strategic influence campaigns, it is necessary to understand both the strategic cultural factors at play and the strategic influence campaigns that Iran deploys.
Download or read book Iran s Networks of Influence in the Middle East written by The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-03-31 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tehran’s ability to fight by, with and through third parties in foreign jurisdictions has become a valuable and effective sovereign capability that gives Iran strategic advantage in the region. Tehran has possessed a form of this capability since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, but its potency and significance have risen sharply in the past decade, to the point where it has brought Iran more regional influence and status than either its nuclear or ballistic-missile programmes. The IISS Strategic Dossier Iran’s Networks of Influence provides an understanding of how Iran builds, operates and uses this capability. Based on original field research, open-source information and interviews with a range of sources, the dossier conducts an audit of Iran’s activities in the principal regional theatres of Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, and its reach into Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It includes an examination of Tehran’s nurturing of groups such as the Houthis in Yemen, the Badr Organisation in Iraq, Hizbullah in Lebanon and Shia militias in Syria, and details related to recruitment, weapons supply, logistics and command-and-control systems. Iran’s Networks of Influence is intended through objective, fact-based analysis to inform both policymakers and practitioners, and to stimulate debate on the wider significance of Iran’s use of third-party partners and the strategic depth they afford Tehran. The dossier also examines the advantages that Iran possesses through its recent experience of conflict, and its ability to mobilise and deploy sympathetic Shia communities across theatres. In a time of rising tension in the region, the dossier looks at how Iran might further develop the use of its partnership capability and the risks and constraints it might face.
Download or read book The Centrality of Iraq in the Iranian Strategic Mentality written by Rasanah and published by Partridge Publishing Singapore. This book was released on 2020-03-18 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Centrality of Iraq in the Iranian Strategic Mentality, written by Firas Elias provides readers with a comprehensive insight into the Iranian strategy in Iraq and the region. Researchers, often when analyzing Iranian geopolitics, do not offer a comprehensive description of this complicated variable, unlike Elias who provides throughout this book a richly detailed analysis and description of the dimensions and geopolitical variables which play an integral role in shaping Iran’s strategy in post-2003 Iraq. The book is divided into four chapters: The first chapter provides an overview of the approaches shaping Iran’s strategy through addressing four main topics: the basic approach to understanding Iran’s strategy, its intellectual and theoretical principles; its main goals, and its key tools. The second chapter defines Iran’s significance in the Iranian strategy through analyzing Iranian hegemony and expansion; Iraq’s geostrategic position in the Iranian perception; Iran’s penetration of post-2003 Iraq; and the dimensions and goals of Iranian strategy in Iraq. The third chapter reviews the Iranian strategic output in Iraq through analyzing the main variables affecting the Iranian strategy in Iraq as follows: variables related to the internal environment in Iran and Iraq and variables related to the regional and international environment. Finally, the fourth chapter forecasts the future of the Iranian strategy in Iraq through reviewing potential scenarios. The book was published by the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah) in 2018 and written by Firas Elias, a political science and national studies researcher.
Download or read book Iran s Strategic Penetration of Latin America written by Joseph M. Humire and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2014-10-08 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, significant attention has focused upon the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the threat they pose to the United States and the West. Far less well understood, however, has been the phenomenon of Iran’s regional advance in America’s own Hemisphere—an intrusion that has both foreign policy and national security implications for the United States and its allies. In this collection, noted specialists and regional experts examine the various facets of Iran’s contemporary presence in Central and South America, and detail what the Islamic Republic’s growing geopolitical footprint south of the U.S. border signifies, both for Iran and for the United States.
Download or read book Iran Resurgent written by Mahan Abedin and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-07-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Iran has emerged from decades of isolation and struggle to become a leading, if not the pre-eminent, regional power. Iran projects its influence throughout the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. Moreover, Iranian diplomacy is active on the world stage, with long-term projects in Africa and South America. The landmark nuclear deal of July 2015 was a major triumph and saw the Islamic Republic successfully negotiate with several world powers to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. Crucially, whilst the nuclear deal restricts Iran's nuclear programmed for at least a decade, it doesn't irreversibly dismantle any part of it. With internal Iranian politics stabilizing around a centrist administration led by President Rouhani, the country is set to continue on a path of regional strategic growth. But with clear signs that the Trump administration is determined to contain Iran's regional influence, what is the risk of a military confrontation? This book argues that Iran has developed sufficient diplomatic strength and credible military capability to deter a full-scale US military assault. But absent a dramatic lowering of tensions, there remains a risk of limited clashes, with far-reaching consequences for regional security.
Download or read book Iran s Networks of Influence in the Middle East written by International Institute for Strategic Studies and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The dossier does not make policy recommendations but is intended through objective, fact-based analysis to inform both policymakers and practitioners. More broadly, it also aims to stimulate debate on what capabilities are required to prevail in contemporary and possible future conflicts. In the case of Iran’s third-party capability, the significance of this in remote, asymmetric and complex warfare will rise and could determine strategic advantage."-- from Introduction.
Download or read book Iran s Strategic Intentions and Capabilities written by Patrick Clawson and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A U S Strategy for Iran written by Charles Douglass and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2012-08-01 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study uses the lens of history to elucidate barriers that have confounded a successful US strategy for Iran. This strategy blends pressure and engagement to overcome these barriers. Iran's perceptions and patterns have historical roots in a sense of Persian greatness, resentment of foreign influence, strategic Persian-Shiite loneliness, and the emergence of pragmatic national interest replacing revolutionary ideology. Analysis further demonstrates how Iran's unique characteristics, such as the populace and nature of the government, portend strategic vulnerabilities which can be used by US strategic planners. Recent US policies for Iran are evaluated to understand US perceptions and how these have contributed to an inability to deter Iran from developing nuclear weapons, proliferating terrorism, and destabilizing the region. A proposed strategy framework expounds upon key assumptions and identification of Iranian centers of gravity. A novel planning construct is created to develop the short- and long-term strategy for US relations with Iran. This study outlines a strategy based on potential vulnerabilities of Iran created by its history and the nature of the country itself. The short-term recommended strategy consists of a prioritized list of six components for creating pressure on Iran. The result of this pressure portends changes in Iran's behavior. Public diplomacy and a strategic communications effort are cross-cutting elements that tie together the components of the short-term strategy. Despite the proposed use of pressure, there are engagement aspects that allow exploitation of positive opportunities created by changes in Iran's behavior. The longterm strategy is comprised of a blend of changed assumptions and tailored goals implemented at a rate tied to improvements in US and Iranian relations. The strategy proposal outlined in this study should be implemented immediately to take advantage of current opportunities. Air University Press, Walker Papers No. 11
Download or read book Containing Iran written by Robert J. Reardon and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2012-09-27 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Iran's nuclear program is one of this century's principal foreign policy challenges. Despite U.S., Israeli, and allied efforts, Iran has an extensive enrichment program and likely has the technical capacity to produce at least one nuclear bomb if it so chose. This study assesses U.S. policy options, identifies a way forward, and considers how the United States might best mitigate the negative international effects of a nuclear-armed Iran.
Download or read book A US Strategy for Iran Walker Paper Number 11 written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study uses the lens of history to elucidate barriers that have confounded a successful U.S. strategy for Iran. This strategy blends pressure and engagement to overcome these barriers. Iran's perceptions and patterns have historical roots in a sense of Persian greatness, resentment of foreign influence, strategic Persian-Shiite loneliness, and the emergence of pragmatic national interests replacing revolutionary ideology. Analysis further demonstrates how Iran's unique characteristics, such as the populace and nature of the government, portend strategic vulnerabilities that can be used by U.S. strategic planners. Recent U.S. policies for Iran are evaluated to understand U.S. perceptions and how they have contributed to an inability to deter Iran from developing nuclear weapons, proliferating terrorism, and destabilizing the region. A proposed strategy framework expounds upon key assumptions and identification of Iranian centers of gravity. A novel planning construct is created to develop the short- and long-term strategy for U.S. relations with Iran. This study outlines a strategy based on potential vulnerabilities of Iran created by its history and the nature of the country itself. The short-term recommended strategy consists of a prioritized list of six components for creating pressure on Iran. The result of this pressure portends changes in Iran's behavior. Public diplomacy and a strategic communications effort are cross-cutting elements that tie together the components of the short-term strategy. Despite the proposed use of pressure, there are engagement aspects that allow exploitation of positive opportunities created by changes in Iran's behavior. The long-term strategy is comprised of a blend of changed assumptions and tailored goals implemented at a rate tied to improvements in U.S. and Iranian relations. The strategy proposal outlined in this study should be implemented immediately to take advantage of current opportunities.
Download or read book Iran written by Kenneth Katzman and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2010 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pres. Obama shares the goals of the previous Admin. to contain Iran¿s strategic capabilities and regional influence, but he has formulated approaches that differ from those of its predecessor ¿ i.e. through expanded direct diplomatic engagement with Iran. Contents of this report: (1) Political History; (2) The Supreme Leader, His Powers, and Other Ruling Councils; The Pres: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; (3) Human Rights and Dissent; (4) Iran¿s Strategic Capabilities and Weapons of Mass Destruction; (5) Foreign Policy and Support for Terrorist Groups; (6) Policy During the Clinton and George Bush Admin.; Overview of Obama Admin. Policy; Containment and Possible Mil. Action; Regime Change; Further International and Multilateral Sanctions; U.S. Sanctions.
Download or read book Iran s Strategic Intentions and Capabilities written by Laurent Lamote and published by . This book was released on 2012-07-06 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Iran appears to be pursuing an assertive foreign policy that confronts the United States on a variety of points: the Middle East peace process, the stability of moderate Muslim states, terrorism (such as the death threat to Rushdie), security in the Persian Gulf, and nuclear proliferation. However, Iran's intentions and capabilities are by no means clear. One the intentions side, some observers expect that a desire for good economic relations with the West and a waning of revolutionary fervor will lead to moderation in action if not in words; others see a broad consensus inside Iran for assertiveness, uniting Persian nationalism with Islamic fundamentalism. On the capabilities side, Iran is short on cash and faces growing internal political dissension, which some say means it will not be able to devote much to foreign adventures and the military build-up, while other say internal problems give Iran reason to acquire a military with which to pressure its rich neighbors. To discuss these issues the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University convened a workshop on "Iran's Strategic Intentions." The workshop brought together leading experts on Iranian security policy: speakers with access to Iranian officials and with the language skills to follow Iranian developments. Some of the points taken from the discussion, which by no means represent the view of all the authors or discussion participants, were: Iran is absorbed with domestic problems. Foreign affairs is a secondary concern for Iran's leaders and its people. Foreign policies are in large part a by-product of domestic politics. The government lacks legitimacy. The post-Khomeini leadership is not accepted by many believers as the voice of religious authority. Religious figures in the provinces, especially those with large Sunni or non-Persian populations, increasingly reject the representatives sent from Tehran. The hold of the central government over the provinces in weakening. The economic situation is bad, and the popular mood is worse. Public and elite opinion both believe that the continued existence of the Islamic Republic is in doubt. Iran's military strategy does not emphasize external defense. Iran sees itself as friendless in a hostile world, but it does not see itself as facing a serious danger from its neighbors. Iraq is not seen as a credible threat for the foreseeable future, for political and military reasons. Turmoil in the southern parts of the former Soviet Union is not seen as posing a conventional military problem for Iran. Iran's principal external aims for its military are to discourage US involvement I the Gulf and to spread its influence in its neighborhood. The Revolutionary Guards and the security forces, which are increasingly coordinated with the military, may be called on regularly to suppress domestic unrest. Iran will pursue military capabilities at the low end and high end, not in the middle. Development of nuclear weapons makes excellent sense, to assert the revolutions success and its claim of equality to the great powers. Iran lacks the resources to engage in an extensive buildup of its conventional military. The leadership realizes that high-technology weapons are essential for success on the modern battlefield; revolutionary fervor is not sufficient. Support subversion and terrorism fits Iran's budget, its ideology, and its predilections. Nor does Iran believe it will have to pay a high price for this sort of low-intensity conflict.
Download or read book Iranian Perspectives of Strategic Stability and Their Nuclear Program Decision Making written by Michael L. James and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper examines Iran’s perspective of its strategic stability and the national interest and objectives that guide their nuclear program decision making. This paper also explores the various factors that shape Iran’s view of itself, its neighbors, and others around the globe. An understanding of Iranian strategic stability perspectives will allow the United States to better develop and execute strategy to achieve its desired political end states. A key component of Iranian strategic stability involves the notion of strategic security. Iran’s nuclear program is a key component of its strategic security. Iran’s acceptance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iranian Nuclear Deal, reveals much regarding Iran’s nuclear program decision making, prioritization of national interest and perspectives relative to strategic stability. An examination of Iranian perceptions of strategic stability led to the conclusion that Iranian strategic stability revolves around three national interest. The national interests/concerns that influence Iranian strategic stability are; 1) strategic security (i.e. threats from external actors), 2) autonomy (i.e maintaining the existing leadership and system of governance), and 3) economic security. These national interests serve as the foundation for Iranian perspectives of strategic stability. Additionally, United States national security concerns relative to Iran are identified and compared with the national interests and/or strategic stability concerns of Iran. Finally, this paper provides recommendations focused on improved diplomatic efforts and the use of a whole-of-government approach in order to better address and solve United States national security concerns regarding Iran.
Download or read book Understanding Iran written by Jerrold D. Green and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2009 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compact, user-friendly handbook for U.S. policymakers interested in understanding the Islamic Republic of Iran. It synthesizes existing analyses on Iran and draws from non-American experts with a different interpretive lens for viewing the seemingly opaque Iranian system. It provides short analytic observations about the processes, institutions, networks, and actors that define Iran's politics, strategy, economic policy, and diplomacy.
Download or read book The Strategic Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran written by Michael Eisenstadt and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-03-06 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is an unconventional adversary that requires unconventional approaches to planning, strategy, and policy. These approaches must take into account the country's sophisticated culture, the regime's religious-ideological orientation, the abiding importance of Iranian nationalism, and Iran's modern military history. And they must recognize the IRI's unique approach to statecraft, strategy, and the use of force. Doing so is no easy task for Americans, as the United States and Iran are studies in opposites when it comes to culture, values, and politics ... These factors complicate efforts to understand Tehran's behavior and to formulate effective policies toward the Islamic Republic. Iran's political system, moreover, is unique in that it is characterized by parallel structures that are the locus of multiple power centers. These consist of both traditional state and revolutionary institutions: the President and Supreme Leader; the Majles and Guardian Council; the Judiciary and Special Clerical Courts; and the regular military and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), with the former often counterbalanced, and sometimes undermined by the actions of the latter. This organizational complexity and the importance of informal influence networks also often renders the functioning of the regime opaque -- even to many of its own members -- making it especially difficult for outsiders to understand what is going on. Finally, planners and policymakers dealing with the IRI should keep in mind three generalizations that can be said of a number of countries, but which are especially true for the Islamic Republic ... With these caveats in mind, this monograph will attempt to identify the salient features of the IRI's strategic culture, and their implications for planning, strategy, and policy"--Introduction.
Download or read book Iran and Pakistan written by Alex Vatanka and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-07-28 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The respective policies of the governments of Iran and Pakistan pose serious challenges to US interests in the Middle East, Asia and beyond. These two regional powers, with a combined population of around 300 million, have been historically intertwined in various cultural, religious and political ways. Iran was the first country to recognise the emerging independent state of Pakistan in 1947 and the Shah of Iran was the first head of state to visit the new nation. While this relationship shifted following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and tensions do exist between Sunni Pakistan and Shi'i Iran, there has nevertheless been a history of cooperation between the two countries in fields that are of great strategic interest to the US: Afghanistan, nuclear proliferation and terrorism. Yet much of this history of cooperation, conflict and ongoing interactions remains unexplored. Alex Vatanka here presents the first comprehensive analysis of this long-standing and complex relationship.
Download or read book The Geopolitics of Iran written by Francisco José B. S. Leandro and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-09-13 with total page 628 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book assesses Iran’s role in contemporary geopolitics. In particular, it examines three main intertwining circles: Iran’s development and political challenges, its relationships with neighbouring countries, as well as its relations with the major global powers — China, the European Union, Russia, and the United States. With contributions from over 20 authors, the book spans such critical aspects of contemporary geopolitics as modern history, natural resources, the economy, the social-political context, and strategic thinking. Particular focus is placed on Iran’s relations with its neighbours - Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, and the Persian Gulf States. Furthermore, the book offers both a bilateral and multilateral dimension on how nuclear sanctions imposed on Iran have impacted its strategic planning, from the economic and military perspectives.
