The Formation of Mutual-Threat-Based Relationships
Since the emergence of the Islamic Revolution, the international system and especially the United States have been trying to threaten Iran in various ways in an attempt to prevent this country from playing an effective role in the regional and global arena.
The milestones in this confrontation are:
The Emergence of the Islamic Revolution
For nearly a century, the United States was considered by Iranians as a third and independent force and a balancing tool by two other powers namely the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union who were interfering in Iran’s political affairs. Although the direct role of the United States in mounting the coup d’état of August 19, 1953, and the overthrow of the national government of Mosaddeq, are regarded as a starting point for changing the perception of the intellectual and political circles of Iran as well as the ordinary people with respect to the United States’ role and its transformation from an honest broker to an interfering power But the occurrence of the Islamic Revolution marks the beginning of a serious struggle between Iran and the United States.
The characteristics of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, not only, have caused enormous changes at the domestic level but also had great implications for the international system at the regional and global levels. Like any other ideological revolution, the Islamic Revolution sought to change the traditional order and establish a new one.
Revolutionary orientations within domestic politics, including the complete transformation of domestic economic, political, and cultural systems, and attempts to de-Westernization and formulating new directions in the field of foreign policy including the theory of the exporting the revolution, the policy of “neither East nor West,” of the Islamic Republic of Iran which are mainly based on changing the status quo and the presentation of a new model, all in all, have changed the nature of Iran-United States relations. Consequently, as the most important ally of the West and the United States in the region, Iran became the first enemy of the West and the United States.
The initial implications of the revolution also raised concerns about the type of relations between the Islamic Republic and governments in the region. However, the international system began to confront the Islamic Revolution of Iran in an attempt to maintain the existing traditional order and keep its regional allies.
Thus, in the immediate aftermath of the Islamic Revolution, the early roots of suspicion and distrust were emerged within the relations between Iran and the countries of the region as regional representatives of the international system as well as between Iran and the superpowers, especially the United States. The continuation of such opposition over the past 27 years has greatly affected the international relations of the Middle East since the roots of this conflict have made impacts not only at the domestic level but also both at the regional and global levels because of the importance of the Middle East in the international system. In addition, this phenomenon has disturbed the natural construct of power and politics in the region.
The Iran-Iraq War
Although this war was the result of the adventures, opportunism and misunderstandings of Saddam Hussein and the Ba’athist Iraqi party, it was a battlefield within which Iran and the international system and superpowers were involved.
On the one hand, major players in the international system including the United States, Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and France provided Iraq with military assistance and political support during the eight years of war, and on the other hand, the regional actors and Arab states of the Gulf region provided economic assistance to this country so that it would defeat Iran in the battlefield and consequently the power and influence of Iran will be reduced and weakened.
United States’ support for Saddam Hussein and the intensification of economic and political pressures and military threats such as confrontation with Iran’s forces and the shutting down of Iranian airliner flight especially in the final years of the war are undoubtedly the main contributors to the continuity of the struggle between Iran and United States as well as the deepening of the notion of the American threat against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Collapse of the Soviet Union
The fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War are other turning points in terms of deepening the perceptions of mutual threats that exist between Iran and the United States.
Earlier in the 1990s, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent defeat of Saddam Hussein in the war led to the direct and extensive presence of the United States in the region.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and his resignation from its top post in terms of politics and power in the Persian Gulf region, the United States was identified as the indisputable and foremost global superpower in the region and began to establish its own order.
Throughout the 1990s, the United States has sought to strengthen the military, political and economic systems, support dependent regimes and maintain the status quo of the region by introducing Iran as the main threat to regional peace and security within the framework of a “Dual Containment” policy. On the other hand, due to post-war problems and economic shortcomings and constraints in the late 1980s, Iran called for de-escalation and trust-making by the means of playing a constructive role and providing opportunities across the globe in general and throughout the Persian Gulf region in particular. In the meantime, Iran’s efforts to promote regional capabilities including the construction of the Central Asian and Caucasus oil pipelines, the expansion of economic and oil projects in the Gulf region, participation in regional economic activities and membership in global political and economic organizations were all bound to fail because of the United States.
The September 11 Attacks
The event of September 11, 2001, is another milestone in the continuation of the “mutual-threat-based relationship” and “contradiction of roles” between Iran and the United States. Because for the first time, the two countries have engaged in a direct confrontation to prevent each other from taking an active role in their regional spheres of influence (Afghanistan and Iraq). As a result of such phenomenon which is followed by the presence of the United States’ military forces in the region, the United States’ threats of changing the Iranian system of governance for the first time have become more pragmatic within the United States foreign policy strategies. In fact, fighting against global terrorism (al-Qaeda) offered the United States a decent opportunity to consolidate its own order which has been pursuing for many years in the Middle East through various strategies.
In the current situation, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the only major country in the Middle East that is not aligned with the long-term order, goals and strategies of the United States in the region. The manifestation of the new American enmity that lies within the country’s policy of the “Axis of Evil” is another step towards deepening mutual-threat-based relationships. According to this policy, not only Iran’s role is limited to its sphere of influence, but even the country is threatened to be overthrown or changed.
As the United States had adopted such policies, the nature of regional and global behaviour of the Islamic Republic of Iran became highly political and a matter of security and since the past years, they have been focusing on the elimination of external threats.
Although after more than a quarter of a century, the spirit and values of the Islamic Revolution still dominate the internal scene (as it became evident in the recent presidential election) and also affect the Iranian foreign policy, Iran’s interactions and measures with respect to the political and regional security and within the international scene, are very different from the early years of the Revolution. This is the logical and natural consequence of evolution in any revolution. As stated in twenty years outlook document of the Islamic Republic of Iran, after 26 years the country aims at self-preservation, accessing comprehensive development and dealing with regional and international isolation. In other words, Iran is struggling to maintain security and provide opportunities in the international arena through more engagement in such a way that even the application of ideology as a tool in foreign policy is also defined within the framework of national interests.
Iranian-American Rivalry in Terms of Influencing the Middle East
Since the onset of the Islamic Revolution, Iran-United States conflicts have become one of the major challenges for the Middle East’s international relations. Over the past 27 years, Iran’s regional ties have faced ups and downs due to American interference. The reason is that the security-political dependence of the regimes of the region on the United States, especially after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, placed many restrictions on establishing political, economic and cultural relations with Iran. A clear example of this phenomenon is the relations between Iran and the Gulf States especially Saudi Arabia.
Although since the early 1990s, the ground has been set for building trust with respect to the relations between the two countries and a large percentage of economic, cultural and even military-security exchanges have been carried out between them, but the continued large-scale United States presence in the country would have adverse effects on such relations.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States, through its presence and influence in the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, has tried to prevent the expansion of Iran’s role in these areas. The actions taken by the United States to stop Iran from taking an active role in the region include prevention of the construction of an oil pipeline from Iran despite economic efficiency, undermining Iran’s position in regulating the legal regime of the Caspian Sea by supporting rival countries such as Azerbaijan, dissuading neighbouring countries from concluding long-term economic and trade agreements with Iran, and opposing the implementation of large-scale projects such as the Iranian-Indian gas pipeline for several years.
In the current situation and after the events of September 11th, the influence and presence of the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq have been very tangible as to how the two countries are adjusting their relations with Iran. Undoubtedly, the presence of the United States in these two countries, and its efforts to change their cultural, political, educational and economic infrastructures, would disrupt the natural construction of power and society in these countries, and this will not benefit the region. These two countries are both Islamic and neighbours of Iran’s natural and cultural spheres of influence.
Any attempts made by the United States to turn those countries into dependent regimes and provoking them against Iran would undermine the natural basis for establishing ties between the two sides. Over the past five years, Iran has not been able to play a significant role in these countries due to the large-scale presence of the United States and its attempts to eliminate Iran’s influence. The author is of the opinion in the long-term weakening the normal role of Iran neither will be in favour of the regional order nor the national interests of the United States since it is not in line with the foundations of power of Iran. Likewise, at the global level, the issue of Iran-United States conflicts has become one of the most important issues of the Middle East’s international relations and the way relations between major powers are regulated.
Currently, adjusting the United States-Iran ties with the foreign policy of the European Union, Russia and China are one of the major challenges of the international system. The end of the Cold War has led to the emergence and growth of new powers in the world, such as China and the European Union, as well as the regional powers. Although these powers are somehow trying to adjust their relations with Iran, taking into account the role and position of the United States among the world powers, yet this does not mean full compliance with the demands of the United States.
The existing resistance is carried out not only for Iran but also to prevent American unilateralism and promote the economic and political interests of the countries involved. Two clear examples of such phenomenon are the lack of participation of some European countries such as France, Germany and Russia in the coalition of the war against Saddam Hussein, and the existence of different perspectives on the continuation of the European Union’s nuclear negotiations with Iran. Although Russia and China are taking into consideration the role of the United States in regulating their relations with Iran, they have always tried to maintain their independent positions. Over the past years, the United States has used every opportunity to prevent increasing interactions of other powers with Iran, even by adopting punitive measures for such countries. Measures against French and Chinese companies to stop investing in Iran are among such policies. The negation of the role and the opportunities provided by this country not only would make the mutual-threat-based relationships last longer, but also complicates the international relations of Iran and, consequently, the Middle East, and will have a negative impact on international peace and security.
The Importance of Iran in the International System
The events of September 11 and fighting with global terrorism have highlighted the significant role that regional powers play. Among the countries of the Middle East, Iran is of particular importance to the international system since this country essentially was founded on pillars of power and is characterized by inherent features of developing power and politics. In fact, over the past three decades, no country has been regarded as a subject for regional and international peace as the Islamic Republic of Iran. For this reason, the developments of Iran are of importance not only at the level of the regional system but also at the international level.
Features that mark the significance of Iran through the international system are:
Construction of Power and Politics in Iran
Among the countries of the Middle East, the construction of power and politics and the functioning of the system in Iran have unique characteristics by which this country becomes of great importance for the international system. The structure of power in Iran is a combination of traditional, conservative and modernist functions and practices in the field of decision-making. Iran is the only country in the Middle East that has the following specific characteristics:
Decisions are Made by Political Units of the Country
Despite the existence of a widespread and long-standing military organization, the country’s decisions are made by the political units. In other words, although military sectors are playing a vital role in constructing the political, economic, social and cultural power of the country due to the history of the involvement of Iran in wars and facing foreign threats, ultimately, decision-making at macro levels of domestic policies as well as foreign policy is carried out by various political units of the country while taking into consideration the national interests and political system. A clear example of this process is Iran’s nuclear negotiations which have been influenced primarily by the power and politics of the country as well as the political structures of Iran’s internal power including the Supreme Leader, Supreme National Security Council, the Presidential Administration, the Expediency Discernment Council, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Atomic Energy Organization, universities and masses of the people and, of course, military and security institutions.
Experiences of Democracy
Experiences and the dynamics of democracy in Iran can be traced back to 100 years ago. Although the process of democratization over the last century has faced ups and downs, yet this process is rooted in Iran and emerged from the core of society. Iran is the first Middle East country in which the Constitutional Revolution occurred in 1906. Over the past century, the influence of Iran’s orientation toward democracy has been crucial to the development of liberal movements throughout the region. The latest example of such impact is the model of “Religious Democracy.”
If the slogan of democratization that the current United States government claims to implement within the framework of the Great Middle East Project is realistic, then undoubtedly Iran would be the most important setting in which democracy may be developed. The reason is that Iran has experienced this situation before and also Iranians have proven that they are interested in the promotion of democracy and, above all, the national interest of Iran would require such phenomenon.
For example, no country as much as Iran benefits from the promotion and consolidation of democracy in new Iraq and the strengthening of the current political process; this would lead to Shi’ahs gaining power through a free election process because they are the majority in the country.
Independent Pillars of Power
The bases of power in Iran are independent. Independent cultural and social resources, independent economic capacities, independent military, independent security review, independent foreign relations and politics, an independent system of government etc. all in all would provide Iran with an indigenous role to play in the political and security order of the region. In this regard, Iran is unique in the region, because other independent and important powers in the region namely Israel and Turkey have a Western perspective and are aligned with the West in terms of their national security strategies. Other important Arab countries of the region are all dependent on the West in terms of security-political systems.
The Cultural Settings of Iran
The cultural features of Iran make it an influential country at the regional levels as well as within the international system. Ancient Iranian culture is one of the most influential cultural models in the region, including Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan and South Asia, both in the past and present. Iran also encompasses a strong and influential immigrant minority in the international community, which, in fact, symbolizes the impact of Iranian culture throughout the world. On the other hand, the significance of Shi’ah culture and its role in the security of the region have been highlighted, especially with the events of September 11 and developments in the new Iraq. Iran, as the Shi’ah culture mainland, can play an important role in balancing Sunni radical culture, which in the form of al-Qaeda-oriented terrorism pose threats to the security of the region and the world. The role of the Shi’ahs in controlling and weakening Sunni radical and terrorist groups in new Iraq is an example of this phenomenon.
Geopolitics of Iran and the Regional Security Order
As far as the history of Iran’s interaction with the international system is concerned, no element has been as important as the geopolitical element of this country. The influence of this element is such that even within the construction of Iran’s power there is an obsession with respect to the increasing geopolitical importance of the country, which determines the type of interaction with the world. Iran’s geopolitical features turn this country into an important factor in the regional order and the international system. Currently, Iran is geopolitically important for the international system because of two reasons: the war on terror and the geopolitics of energy. In the context of the war on terror, Iran is situated in the middle of two main centers of global terrorism, namely Afghanistan and Iraq. In this regard, this country plays a significant role in limiting and stopping the phenomenon of terrorist transit in the region. In addition, as far as the geopolitics of energy (oil and gas) is concerned, the geography of Iran is such that it has access to sensitive and oil-rich parts of the Middle East both in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.
Archive of The Enemies of the Islamic Revolution
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