https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/ Security Horizons en daily 1 Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/article_210650.html This study with an emphasis on the two key domains of "digital diplomacy" and "smart militarism," examines the contradictory implications of artificial intelligence on peace and regional security in the Middle East. The primary research question is: What impact has the expansion of artificial intelligence had on the balance between war and peace in the Middle East region? The research hypothesis is grounded in the principle that artificial intelligence, in addition to the opportunities it offers for enhancing peace and regional cooperation, entails serious threats, including military applications and uncontrollable autonomous weapons. This research is theoretical in nature and, from a methodological perspective, is qualitative and descriptive-analytical based on the type of data. In terms of objectives, it combines fundamental and applied approaches. The findings indicate that artificial intelligence, based on the analysis of data from 2020-2025, exerts a dual impact on countries. This technology in the Middle East is neither inherently conducive to peace nor inherently provocative of war; rather, its effects depend on the approaches and policies adopted by regional governments. Although it is argued that artificial intelligence will primarily contribute to regional instability, this technology can also have a positive influence on regional security, which should not be entirely overlooked. https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/article_210648.html With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the removal of the Caucasus from the margins of the world’s political geography, the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as Iran’s neighbor, created a historic opportunity to develop bilateral relations based on historical, cultural, and religious commonalities. However, instead of moving toward sustainable convergence, relations between Tehran and Baku have faced multiple challenges. Factors such as Baku’s secular policies, the downplaying of Shiite identity, the spread of Pan-Turkist ideology, and Azerbaijan’s growing ties with the West, Turkey, and the Zionist regime have contributed to the cooling of relations between the two countries.In this context, the main research question is: What impact did the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (2020) have on Iran’s national security and its relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan? The research hypothesis is that the security and geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus following the 44-day Karabakh war have confronted Iran’s national security with a set of multidimensional threats, including economic threats (such as the Zangezur Corridor), security–political threats (such as the increasing influence of the Zionist regime in Baku), and socio–cultural threats (such as the spread of Pan-Turkism and ethnic nationalism). Based on the research findings, the hypothesis is confirmed; that is, the Second Karabakh War has not only exacerbated Iran’s two-decade-long security challenges but also would certainly have further cooled Tehran–Baku relations with the signing of the Azerbaijan–Armenia agreement in Washington in August 2025. https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/article_210652.html The Paris Agreement, as the most significant international convention in this field, obliges countries to formulate and implement emission reduction programs known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). In this regard, the key question is whether this international regime should be viewed merely as a tool for constraining countries such as Iran, or as an opportunity for restructuring their economic and technological systems.This study employs a qualitative thematic analysis approach to examine the Paris Agreement documents and three key Conferences of the Parties (COP21, COP26, and COP29) of the UNFCCC, in order to identify and analyze the related economic and security opportunities and threats for Iran. The textual data were coded and analyzed using MAXQDA software.main findings are categorized as follows:1.Economic threats: pressure on oil and petrochemical exports, decline in foreign exchange revenues, adaptation costs for energy-intensive industries, and limited access to international mechanisms.2.Security threats: growing energy insecurity and reduced regional bargaining power.Technological and financial opportunities: potential for attracting climate finance and technology transfer, conditional on removing banking and institutional barriers, as well as capacity for renewable energy development.4.Regional diplomatic opportunities: utilizing regional projects and cooperation frameworks to mitigate the impacts of sanctions.The overall conclusion indicates that, under current conditions, threats outweigh opportunities and, if left unaddressed, could increase Iran’s strategic vulnerability in both economic and security dimensions. Therefore, policy mechanisms should focus on strengthening domestic resilience—through infrastructure modernization and social support—and pursuing targeted climate diplomacy to secure access to international resources and technology. https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/article_210647.html The Makran Coasts in southeastern Iran hold a unique geostrategic and geo-economic position along the Indian Ocean, boasting over 700 kilometers of coastline. These coasts possess distinctive features, including unparalleled potential for cargo transit, energy production, fishing, and tourism.In this regard, the objective of the present research is to formulate operational and practical strategies for sustainable maritime economic development in the Makran coasts using the SWOT-QSPM method. The findings of this applied research, through a combination of descriptive-analytical and statistical methods (using a specialized questionnaire), examine strategies for sustainable maritime economic development in the Makran coasts. After identifying internal factors (strengths, weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities, threats), the researchers employed the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) to prioritize strategies.The results indicate that adopting an aggressive approach (SO) in strategy formulation—focusing particularly on strengths (access to open waters, energy transit capacity, the region's geopolitical position, and hydrocarbon resources) and opportunities (regional cooperation, foreign investment, etc.)—is the optimal strategy for operational and practical economic development of the Makran coasts. The findings of this research can help implement a maritime-oriented economic development model for the Makran coasts, serving as an engine for progress and sustainable development in the Islamic Republic of Iran as a maritime nation with 2,700 kilometers of coastline. https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/article_210649.html Although the Western origin of nationalism has been emphasized in recent centuries, the social interactions of nationalist sentiment between individuals have existed since the past and are essentially cultural. Nationalism can be proposed with a negative and positive approach. This research, with a positive approach, descriptive-analytical method and library collection, has examined the functions of Iranian nationalism in Azeri-populated areas. Language, land, common culture or a sense of belonging to a community and the like have always been a driving force and influential in strengthening and developing the positive dimension of nationalism. Reza Shahi's project attempted to revive the ancient values ​​of pre-Islamic Iran. The combination of ideology and religious beliefs with Iranian nationalism in Azeri-populated areas created different capabilities and functions compared to other societies, which is inconsistent with its anti-religious approach. Expressing hatred of foreigners, confronting the occupation, opposing the Azerbaijani invasion, opposing the Russian-British agreement, resisting the occupiers, taking a stance on the arrest of Imam Khomeini (RA), opposing the legislation of provincial and provincial associations, joining Mossadegh's national movement, and supporting the Islamic Revolution are among the functions of Iranian nationalism that have been built as a result of education, behavioral and cultural interactions, social connections, and interpersonal interactions of individuals in the communities. The research findings also indicate that positive dimensions of nationalism have been built in the Azeri-populated areas. In a way that it took on an anti-authoritarian form against internal tyranny and was built with a focus on preserving Iranian unity and identity. https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/article_210220.html In the present era, classical battles no longer respond to security and military needs due to new complexities in political, social, and technological arenas. Rapid technological changes and the emergence of asymmetric threats have rendered traditional approaches ineffective. Therefore, considering the hardware, software, and human resources disparities between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the global arrogance front, any strategy designed to confront the enemy in political, military, security, cultural, social, economic, and other areas should follow the rules of asymmetric warfare. This article utilizes the meta-synthesis method to review and synthesize findings from existing research on asymmetric warfare. Key elements were extracted and interpreted from various articles to provide a comprehensive model. At the conclusion of the research, 10 general components of asymmetrical warfare were presented, categorized into three dimensions: software, hardware, and human resources. Additionally, 16 general rules for the victory of the weaker side in an asymmetrical conflict were provided. https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/article_210653.html In Islamic societies, where religious, ethical, and spiritual values play a central role in shaping political and social structures, the need for an authentic, indigenous governance model rooted in religious texts—particularly the Holy Quran—has become increasingly evident. This study aims to delineate a model of good governance based on Quranic teachings, with a focus on strengthening political security in Islamic societies. Utilizing a deductive thematic interpretation method and directed qualitative analysis, relevant Quranic verses concerning governance and political security were extracted and analyzed. The findings reveal that the Quran categorizes governance challenges into two levels: governmental (tyranny, injustice, and arrogance) and societal (division, moral corruption, and weak faith). The proposed Quranic model is founded on principles of justice, meritocracy, accountability, and public participation. This research offers practical solutions for achieving good governance in contemporary Islamic societies. The results indicate that political security, within the Quranic framework, extends beyond mere systemic stability, emerging as a product of social justice, transparency, accountability, and active citizen participation. By presenting a theoretical and practical model, this study addresses gaps in the literature on Islamic governance and provides policy recommendations for contemporary Islamic societies. https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/article_210651.html The aim was to examine the relationship between the right to freedom of expression and the extent of digital media usage among media professionals. The research method was descriptive-survey, and the data collection tool was a questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of professors of communication and media studies, experts, and practitioners in the field of digital media. The questionnaire was distributed to 115 individuals, of whom 91 completed it. The findings showed that digital media, especially social networks, play a prominent role in the daily lives of media professionals; 46% of them use these media between 1 to 2 hours daily, and 41% between 3 to 4 hours. All Pearson correlation coefficients were positive and significant at the 0.01 level, indicating a positive and significant relationship between digital media usage and the four components of the right to freedom of expression. The highest correlation was related to the "right to receive content" with a coefficient of 0.48, while the lowest correlation was associated with the "ownership of content" component, showing a positive but weaker correlation of 0.35. Ultimately, the results indicated that digital media, particularly social networks, serve as a powerful platform for the realization of the right to freedom of expression, and increased usage of these media aligns with an enhanced perception of these rights among media activists. https://ps.ihu.ac.ir/article_210654.html With the rapid growth in the volume of open-source data and the increasing diversity and breadth of information sources, OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) processes are facing numerous challenges. Among these challenges are the extremely high volume of incoming data, the need for fast and efficient data processing, as well as the heterogeneity and structural diversity of the data. This massive amount of information presents analysts with difficulties such as identifying relevant data, extracting valuable insights, and managing unstructured data. In such circumstances, the utilization of advanced artificial intelligence technologies-particularly large language models-can play a significant role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of OSINT processes.This article introduces an innovative, agent-based approach leveraging large language models to enable intelligent management of open-source data. The conceptual framework proposed herein integrates the advanced capabilities of LLMs with the specific requirements of OSINT, providing a platform for intelligent data collection, analysis, and decision-making. Within this framework, tasks are intelligently distributed, and each stage of the process is assigned to specialized, intelligent agents, each responsible for processing and analyzing a portion of the data according to their respective capabilities.