Strategic Studies Quarterly

Abstract This paper, by studying the nature of "cultural security", will explain this concept theoretically from the perspective of the conceptual relationship between culture and security. The assumption of the article is that cultural security cannot be understood as a concept or even a phenomenon, unless you recognize and represent the different layers of the conceptual relationship between "culture" and "security". In response to this main question, the conceptual processing of this article shows that the elements and components that form and constitute security are mainly cultural. Elements and components such as mental, linguistic, semantic, discursive, conceptual, perceptual, emotional, psychological and moral aspects of security are among these and without them, the development, change and continuation of security will be impossible. In this article, after defining the concepts of culture and security in the introduction, the author will discuss the different aspects of the conceptual relationship between culture and security with an emphasis on culture as an independent variable. As a result of this processing, the author, as the hypothesis of the article, in four specific proportions; like "culture as one of the dimensions and parts of security"; "Culture as a referential subject of security"; "Culture as the shape of the security environment" and "Culture as a source of security threats" have been mentioned.

Abstract The main question of the article is what is the good and appropriate basic discourse of the national security governance in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which can establish security in this system with the least cost, paradox and undesirable consequences? In response, the author argues that among the four discourses of "identity-based", "progress-based", "power-based" and "security-based", the basic and central discourse that is suitable for the Islamic Republic of Iran is the discourse of "identity Is the "basis" or identity. This central hypothesis or proposition of the article means that the pursuit of progress, equipping with power and building security is only in the light of the development of identity and belief that can bring maximum security in the Islamic Republic of Iran with minimum cost, paradox and adverse consequences. Of course, it is important that identity should be considered as the first and main priority which means that identity is not in the service of power, security and progress and is given priority over them. In this sense, turning away from the ideals of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, or in other words, secularization; means a situation in which identity serves power, security and progress or acquires a secondary status in terms of importance. In this case, even security will be fragile and unsustainable.

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Abstract It seems that the objective of the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" strategy toward Iran is Sovietization of the country or, in fact, the disintegration of the Islamic Republic of Iran through using the experiences of the Reagan administration in dealing with the Soviet Union. The findings of the present article show that the masterminds behind this project include Foundation for Defense of Democracies and certain right-wing and conservative think tanks in the United States such as the Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute, which are the remnants of the administrations of George Bush senior or George W. Bush. The US State Department and the CIA are the executive arm of the project that involves US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US special representative for Iran Brian Hook, and White House national security adviser John Bolton. According to this project, the collapse of the "Islamic Republic" or a change in the ruling political system is not enough and the main goal is the disintegration of the "Islamic Republic of Iran". However, the adoption of such a strategy does not necessarily mean that it will succeed and there, are factors that seriously impede the realization of this project.  
 
 

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Abstract The present essay discusses New Counter-Terrorism and its basic principles. As a whole, to confront terrorism or choosing a counterterrorism strategy, three distinct approaches can be identified. These three approaches are: criminal, military and intelligence approaches. Both first two approaches are reactive in essence. They can be called to consideration after a terrorist action. While confronting neo-terrorism, including Takfiri terrorism, prevention is prior to reaction. It is because the terrorist activities of these groups are often irreparable. These groups can hardly be demolished due to their jelly structure. So, informational approach is recommended to face and deal with this new form of terrorism. According to this approach, different informational tactics and strategies can be adapted to firstly prevent the formation of the Takfiri groups and secondly to stop them coming to the decision of planning and performing an attack. Although adapting this approach does not lead to rejecting other approaches in new anti-terrorist strategy, it must be considered prior to the other two approaches and both criminal and military approaches must be the continuation of the informational one and not vice versa. So this is called Informational Counter Terrorism or ICT. It must be mentioned that neo counter-terrorism should be active not a passive one. Active counter-terrorism includes steps like: investigation, intelligence gathering techniques, inquiry, infiltration and surveillance.
 
 

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Abstract This article focuses on soft management of national defence or soft aspects of national defence in imam khomeini’s management during imposed war of Iraq against Iran. The main question of article is that: how did Imam Khomeini, as a leader of revolution and Islamic republic, managed imposed war which was the main hard threat against Islamic republic? Author claims that imam Khomeini managed the war in a soft approach through narration as a kind of speech act.  His religious and ideational narrative of imposed war changed this threat to an opportunity and an instrument for reproduction and estabilising Islamic republic.  

Abstract This article using this method, is going to Compare Islamic Revolution of Iran (1979) & Jan. 25^th Revolution in Egypt, and assumes that without such an analysis, it's not possible to understand & explain Egypt Revolution. Theoretical Background of article is theory of Political opportunity from sociological framework for analysis of social movements. By Application of these theories, author argues that Islamic Revolution of Iran, provided a suitable political opportunity for revolutionary movement in Egypt & decrees as its costs & length in the way to victory. But Mubarak Regime, Egypt military forces & U.S. by learning from Iran's revolution, try their best to limit political opportunities for Islamists to conquer the whole political sphere of Egypt & manage the transition from Social Islamism toward Political Islamism.

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The core issue in any security theory is the referent object of security. This is the case with respect to Imam Khomeini’s views on security too. Based on this assumption, the current paper is trying to recognize the nature of the referent object of security; in the mean time, it treats Imam Khomeini’s relevant views as a “speech act”. Because the author is of the view that not only Imam Khomeini was the security theorist of the Islamic Republic of Iran but he was its securitizing actor too.Within this framework, the author believes that the referent object of security in Imam Khomeini’s speech act is “Islamic Government” which comprises the followings: “Ideological Islam”, “Velayat Faqih” and the “People

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Future Iraq is a resultant of past and present situation, tendencies and trends of the effective internal and external actors, the future chances and challenges and their positive and negative internal and regional effects. This essay tries to give a strategic assessment of the future Iraq through criticizing the idealist scenario which tells us about the new Iraqi constitution and the strategic aims defined by it for the future: creating democracy inside Iraq and peace seeking in its foreign policy. The writer has used the structuralism approach to investigate this scenario and to give a strategic assessment of the future Iraq. According to this approach, the history, geography, culture and political economy of Iraq confines the idealist scenario and causes a struggle between ideals and realities.

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Terrorism is one of the most debateful notions considering its definition. It is studied inter-disciplinarily. In other words, in studding terrorism, different fields like politics, international relations, international law, psychology, sociology and some others should be taken into account. This article discusses the nature and essence of terrorism and its evolution in international relations from 19^th century to the present time. This study is done based on eight factors: stimulus, analysis pattern, organization, strategy, tactics, goals, weapons, and victims. The writer believes that in 21^st century the international terrorism has changed to the global terrorism because it is territory-free now.

Abstract Soft discourse was introduced in the final decade of the twentieth century and new horizons were born in understanding and explaining the strategic issues, particularly in International Studies. The concept of soft security has risen from the heart of this discourse and refers to a kind of security that protects the actors against such harms and risks in an intangible way.Present article mentions different ways for soft security concept to become operational in Iranian society and looks for a strategy that can protect the society and government against each other's threats in a soft way in Islamic Republic framework. So, the author believes that what can help this important strategy to operate at internal security level and prefers soft security to hard security to maintain the Islamic Republic is the reproduction of Islamic Republic discourse to face different challenges and environmental crisis in discourse fields, abstract fields and social practice domain.

Abstract Human security is the last paradigm of security studies in the 21^st century and constitutes the new agenda for security studies. The current paper illustrates the place of human security, as a popular approach and based on long term satisfaction of the people, within the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. To this end, the theoretical aspect of the issue is considered first and then under the light of this understanding, the relevant provisions of the constitution is considered. The author of this paper argues that the very idea of human security lies within the context of the constitution which sets the limits of national security and its boundaries and limits; it does not overlap or replace the national security.

Abstract The Micro Approach at studying International Relations normally focuses on structure and behavior of the actors of international system; decision making process in the field of foreign policy is a part of this structure. Considering the published works with respect to the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, this paper discusses the structure as well as process of decision making in the country. Therefore, due to three relevant variables, including, stakeholders (agents), organization and process, the survey is conducted with in the framework of legal-organizational (official) and political-sociological (unofficial) approaches. Finally, the paper concludes with highlighting deficiency of the relevant texts and a few suggestions are raised to remove them.

Abstract With the abolition of classic revolutions and in the mean time commencement of the new century, we witness surfacing and triumph of the so called "Colored Revolutions".  This paper while recognizing common and general features of the societies faced Colored Revolution, and paying attention to Yugoslavian example, as a case study, analyzes the possibility and impossibility of occurrence of such a phenomenon at the Iranian society. Therefore, the author considers the political structure of the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran and ways of its functioning at the social environment as well as means of social action at the Iranian society.  Based on the assumption of the author, due to existence of circumstances at the society and political system, happening of some social movements aiming at regime change in the Islamic Republic of Iran through Colored Revolution it would be possible. However, due to some obstacles in the political system and the society, triumph of such a revolution and realization of its aims would be impossible.

Abstract In the post -Westphaliaera, there are few unitary countries without any diversity, so new states are going to investing and providing strategy for establishing and improving the national coherency. If national diversity and heterogeneous mainly contains religious, ethnic, linguistic and cultural dimensions, so Iranian society would be as diverse as possible. As a matter of fact, it could be varieties in diversity of Iranian society in the whole dimension of the phenomena. Here the paper is trying to processing and analyzing this phenomenon and making recommendation for maintenance and evolving national coherency by focus on ethnics in Iranian society. The reason is that ethnicity and ethnic differentiation is the strong force in contrast of modernity in the national level and could be make domestic violence and providing opportunity for influencing of revival countries of Iran in the proximately region.    

Abstract The new wave of terrorist actions, so called the modern terrorism, at the best one was appeared in September 11 2001. In respond to September 11 attack and confronting with it, U.S. was transformed the operational environment to the Middle East region that overlapping with the Islamic Republic of Iran's national security environment. So it is necessity to explore the modern terrorism and determining its threat on the IRI's national interests. What is distinguishing the modern terrorism that the components such as identity – based, the globosity, inciting and one dimensioned and its distinct manner is the assassin operations. If this new wave is threaten the IRI's national interests, it could be effectively affect on the national characteristics in the domestic dimensions and ideological approach of IRI in the regional environment.Here author is suggesting some recommendations for preventing and confronting with these threats such as covert action with induced current, embraced controlling and managing of mass media, substitute process management on crisis management, preventing the nuclear terrorism and choosing the open combat in the necessary.    

Abstract The panacea of justice and its different versions is the foremost ideal of human societies and the objective of establishment of governments especially the theocratic systems. The Iranian society and the Islamic Republic also stress on justice and expansion of justice more than any other time in a way that it may be claimed thatthe other hand, the Islamic Republic of Iran has issued the 20-Year National Perspective Document to all powers and related institutions in December 2003. On this basis, overall policies and development plans or executive directives have to besets out to find the guidelines for the realization of social justice in the Islamic -Year Perspective Document at the 2025 horizon. It tries todesign the desirable strategy and role for the governments as appropriate to them.On this ground, the author argues that inclusiveness and permanence constitute two major guidelines to that purpose.

Abstract This article addresses Iran’s socioeconomic situation and the Islamic Republic’s relations with the West and the European Union and criticizes US present policies towards Iran. Noting that many hold that the treatment of nuclear program should be conducted according to US policies towards Iran, the author argues that the failure of Europe and the United States to shape a consistent policy in this regard, the failure of the opposition to seriously struggle against the Iran’s regime and the adventurism by China, Russia, North Korea and Pakistan have placed Iran in a win-win-win situation. Therefore, the existing policy options including Washington’s consent with European negotiations with Iran, attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities and a big deal between the United States and Iran will not possibly terminate Iran’s nuclear program. The author presumes democracy as the Achilles’ Ankle for Iran’s government and the West’s focus on this issue in order to deal with Iran’s nuclear program and he believes that the nuclear program is the only instance in the past 15 years for which the Islamic Republic has been able to garner public and national support. Thus, in the author’s opinion, the key to the resolution of Iran’s nuclear problem is the future of the country’s democratic movement. The author continues to criticize the US sanctions against Iran as a failed policy.

Abstract The consistency of consolidated legitimacy with the continued power constitutes the basic presumption of security in modern states, and the rulers in the today’s world need the trust and popularity on part of the ruled. This correspondence is not of less importance in the Islamic Republic when compared to other regimes, because its focal point has not shifted from the inside to the outside yet. Hence, this article seeks to present a narrative of the process of legitimation within a strategic context, using a discoursive method. On this basis, discoursive change in the Islamic Republic’s legitimacy has formulated three main discourses on legitimation as follows: essential discourse, instrumental discourse, and procedural discourse. The analytical narrative of this article is founded upon the process of change in such discourses according to the articulation of such criteria as the degree of recurrence, limits of discursive shift, statement discipline, and the methods of rejection which in sum lead the author to the hypothesis that the current situation represents the end of legitimiation in the Islamic Republic’s system. In other words, having passed the stage of establishing legitimiation, the Islamic Republic of Iran has entered the phase of meta-legitimiation. The parameters providing the contingency of discourses in the new age include linkage character, the priority of utterances, and the recurrence of interpreted discourses. The inability to understand this level of discoursive shift and adapting to it results in the crisis and disruption of the state’s adaptive function. Moreover, empowerment in this area will promote the degree of recurrence and the level of discipline of legitimizing statements.

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Abstract هجوم‌ انتحاری‌ به‌ برجهای‌ مرکز تجارت‌ جهانی‌ به‌ عنوان‌ نمادهای‌ سرمایه‌داری‌ جهانی‌ شده‌ وساختمان‌ وزارت‌ دفاع‌ آمریکا (پنتاگون‌) در آغاز هزارة‌ سوم‌، رخدادی‌ عظیم‌ بود که‌ سرنوشت‌جامعه‌ بشری‌ را دگرگون‌ و تاریخ‌ روابط‌ بین‌الملل‌ را به‌ دو برهة‌ پیش‌ و پس‌ از این‌ واقعه‌ تقسیم‌ کرد.در واقع‌ این‌ نخستین‌ حمله‌ مستقیم‌ به‌ قلمرو آمریکا پس‌ از 1812م‌ بود که‌ عمق‌ نفوذپذیری‌ وآسیب‌پذیری‌ تنها ابرقدرت‌ جهان‌ را نمایان‌ ساخت‌ و به‌ دوران‌ گذار و آشفتگی‌ حاکم‌ بر روابط‌بین‌الملل‌ پایان‌ داد. تحول‌ در اساسی‌ترین‌ مفاهیم‌ حقوق‌ بین‌الملل‌ از جمله‌ جنگ‌، صلح‌، دفاع‌،تجاوز و تروریسم‌، گذار از نظام‌ تک‌ ـ چندقطبی‌ به‌ سیستم‌ تک‌قطبی‌، اهمیت‌ دوبارة‌ منابع‌سخت‌افزاری‌ قدرت‌، افزایش‌ دوبارة‌ وزن‌ دولت‌ ملی‌ به‌ عنوان‌ بازیگر مهم‌ در سطح‌ بین‌الملل‌ وغلبه‌ پارادایم‌ خشونت‌ بر گفت‌وگو از جمله‌ مهم‌ترین‌ پیامدهای‌ این‌ رویداد هستند. در این‌ بین‌جمهوری‌ اسلامی‌ ایران‌ نیز به‌ دلیل‌ همسایگی‌ با افغانستان‌ و عراق‌ یعنی‌ اولین‌ و دومین‌ هدف‌ درجنگ‌ مرحله‌ای‌ ایالات‌ متحده‌ علیه‌ «تروریسم‌»، از پیامدهای‌ این‌ حادثه‌ تأثیرپذیرفته‌ است‌.

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