Territorial cohesion and geostrategic perception of Iran to Iraq

پژوهش ‎های جغرافیای سیاسی

Article 8, Volume 8, Issue 2 - Serial Number 30, January 2024, Pages 209-227   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/pg.2023.79338.1177

Authors

Alireza Mehraby¹; Soroush Farshchin^{* 2}; Mohammadreza Joufar²

¹Associate Professor, Department of Political Geography, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

²PhD student of Political Geography, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Although in Western studies, the role and concept of the border are becoming an abstract concept, the way of foreign governance still brings potential and actual tensions in many regions of the world in the countries on both sides of the border. This research provides a better picture of the main question of this article which is Iran's geostrategic understanding of Iraq. we do that by examining identity, cultural, religious, economic, etc. components. To answer the question raised in the research, a descriptive-analytical method has been used. In this research, the variables of language and ethnicity, religion, political-economic-military organization, territorial advantage, ethnic symbols, and the reason for existence and territorial cohesion have been analyzed and evaluated. In examining the situation of making political decisions based on Iran's geostrategy towards Iraq, three factors have a neutral or converging situation for Iran, while the situation is divergent in only one component, on the other hand, Iraq is divergent in three and neutral in one component, under these conditions, paying attention to the only divergent factor in two countries, which is language, ethnicity, and religion, should be a serious concern of both countries, a factor that is not so worrying for Iran in a normal situation, but If the independence of these minorities happened in Iraq, it can also limit Iran's national security.

Keywords

Territorial Cohesion; Geostrategic Understanding; State Idea

References

1. Alikhani, H., (2018). The concept of international peace and security. Iran, Tehran: ghanoonyar. [In Persian]
2. Alipour, A., (2011). The Impact of Ethnic Policies on Convergence and Divergence of the Peoplein the Sistan and Baluchestan and Kurdistan Provinces after the Islamic Revolution. PhD. Thesis, Tehran: Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch. Faculty of Human Science. . [In Persian]
3. Amiri, A., (2006). The role of centrifugal forces in national solidarity in Kermanshah province. Thesis, Tehran: Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran. [In Persian].

 

4. Dehghani, H., (2008). An overview of the border disputes between Iran and its western neighbor with regard to the role of foreign powers. History of International Relations, (37), 120-49. [In Persian]
5. Drysdale, A., & Blake, J.A., (1990). The Middle East and North Africa: A Political Geography. (D. Mirheyder, Trans.). Iran, Tehran: Bureau of Political and International Studies. [In Persian]
6. Fallah, R., (2009). Turkey's strategic policy in Iraq. Strategic studies of the Islamic world, (39), 271-286. [In Persian]
7. I., (2012). Races of Iran and Field of Convergence. Iran, Tehran: Komeil Publication. [In Persian]
8. Hafeznia, M.R., (2016). Political Geography of Iran. Iran, Tehran: SAMT. [In Persian]
9. Hafeznia, M.R., (2017). Principles and concepts of geopolitics. Iran, Mashhad: Papoli. [In Persian]
10. Hartshorne, R., (1950). The functional in political geography. Annals of the association of American geographers.
11. M., (2006). Atlas of the Islamic World and Vicinity. US, New York, Columbia University. gulf2000.columbia.edu/maps.shtml
12. Jafari Valadani, A., (2007). Crisis in the Red Sea basin. Law and Politics Research, (1), 291-314. [In Persian]
13. Jafari Valadani, A., (2019). Challenges and conflicts in the Middle East. Iran, Tehran: Strategic Studies Research Institute.
14. Jahanirad, H., Darfshan, M., & Ghiazi, A., (2016). Religious conflicts underlying the crisis in the geopolitical region of West Asia; Case study: the phenomenon of Islamic fundamentalism. International Conference on Geopolitical Crises of the Islamic World (Volume 1) [In Persian] (pp. 221-233). Tehran: Islamic World Future Research Institute.
15. Kissinger, H., (2019). World order (a reflection on the characteristics of nations and history). (M. Hasani, Trans.). Iran, Tehran: Scientific and Cultural Publications. [In Persian]
16. Mehrabi, A., (2007). Geopolitics and Evolution of Government Idea in Iran. Iran, Tehran: Entekhab Publication. [In Persian]
17. Mojtahedzadeh, P., (2007). Political geography and geopolitics. Iran, Tehran: SAMT. [In Persian]
18. P., (1993). Countries and borders in the geopolitical area of the Persian Gulf. Iran, Tehran: Printing and Publishing Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
19. Mojtahedzadeh, P., (2018). The philosophy and function of geopolitics. Iran, Tehran: SAMT.
20. Meir, A., (1988). Nomads and the state: the spatial dynamics of centrifugal and centripetal forces among the Israeli Negev Bedouin. Political geography quarterly, 7(3), 251 – 270
21. Moyer, R., (2000). New Insight towards Geopolitics. (D., Mirheydar Trans.). Iran, Tehran: Armed Forces Geographical Organization. [In Persian]
22. Nami, M., (2018). Border geography: with an emphasis on Iran's borders. Iran, Tehran: Geographical Organization of the Armed Forces.
23. Tabatabai, S., & Hosseini, S., (2019). Explaining the geostrategy of the intervening and peripheral actors of the Caspian Basin and the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Foreign Relations, 11(4), 113-141. [In Persian]