Iran-America Confrontation: Strategies and Tactics

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Corresponding author: assistant professor of International Relations, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz

2 Assistant professor of political science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

Abstract

Through a revolutionary culture, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a genuine revisionist power, has eliminated the arrogant attendance of the US in the domain of Iranian politics since 1979, and has challenged regional and international issues. In response to this revolutionary attitude, various American governments have resorted to the policy of undermining and overthrowing Iranian political system. Following the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, this idea emerged that the relation between the two countries cooperation in other areas would improve. However, with the advent of Trump administration and his pulling out of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), tensions between the two countries have augmented and Washington is trying to force Tehran to give up. Hence, the main question of this research is: “What are the components and characteristics of the US strategies against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and what strategies should be selected by Iran to stand against them?” This research hypothesizes that America tries to destabilize and overthrow Iran at both internal and external levels through a political war. At the internal level, America makes use of illegitimating Iran’s political power by public dissatisfaction. The United States seeks to destabilize Iran's geopolitical and geo-strategic credibility in the region. The best solution for addressing this challenge is due to reinforcing the internal components of power, that is, its efficiency or the secondary legitimacy of the system.” The theoretical framework of the research contains the theory of political warfare, the theory of soft warfare, and Habermas’s public sphere. This is a descriptive-analytical research which employs library and documentary methods for data collection. The results indicates that the United States is in trying to exerting maximum pressure for overthrowing the Iranian political system by internal devastation and external decrease of its regional influence. Therefore, we can conclude that threats against Iran's political stability are serious, and that the efficiency and legitimacy of the system need to be strengthened to neutralize it. Furthermore, the researchers have employed scenario writing to test the impact of the independent variable (techniques of overthrowing) on the dependent variable (the future of the political system).
The authors also use scenario method to test the effect of independent variable (subversion tactics) on the dependent variable (the future of the political system). Research findings suggest that the United States is seeking to destabilize the Iranian government and the elimination of Iran's regional influence.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 18 October 2018
  • Revise Date: 23 February 2019
  • Accept Date: 06 March 2019

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