(NOTE: I wrote this essay in 2007 and was published by the South Korean news platform Ohmynews International. I updated it in 2010 or 2011 and published it on my blog. I am sharing this article due to the prevailing conflict in ME, I think it will help students understand Iranian Strategic Culture and the mindset and values that shape the Iranian mindset)
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In my earlier essays Israeli Strategic Culture and Iranian Nuclear
Program, I discussed Israeli strategic culture and Israeli perceptions of the
Iranian nuclear threat. In applying strategic culture theory, I tried to
project Israeli threat perception and a possible Israeli response. In this
essay, we will try to understand the factors governing the Iranian mindset,
their strategic approach, and their possible response to Pressure to abandon
the Nuclear Program.
As we know, strategic culture is “a collectivity of beliefs, norms,
values and historical experiences of the dominant elite in a polity that
influences their understanding and interpretation of security issues and
environment, and shapes their responses” ( Dr. Hassan Askari Rizvi, former
professor at the Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan)
Iranian strategic culture is influenced by three factors:
1.
pride
of the Iranian past
2.
Shia Islam
3.
experiences
of revolution.
Then there is the
culture of revolution which has its own experiences and apprehensions.
Iran is a nation-state dominated by an Aryan race group, although
Azaries, Arabs, Baluchi, and others are also important ethnic groups. The state
religion is Islam and a majority (89%) follows the Asna Ashari sect of Shia
Islam. Others include Ismaili Shiites and Sunni (9%) as well as Baha’is,
Mandeans, Hindus, Yezidis, Yarsanis, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians.
Iran is situated at a very strategic location. It’s on the mouth of
the Strait of Hormuz through which 40 % of the world’s oil supply passes every
day and also because it joins Euro-Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia with the Middle
East. It has a nearly 4,000-year-long history, and due to its rich past, it has
a well-developed culture and national pride. The era of Dara, Nosherwan, etc.
is still a part of Iranian self-esteem.
Iranians are one of the oldest people having a glorious history.
Historically, they have stood up to outside challenges. Unlike their neighbors,
they have great pride for their past.
Islam came to Iran in A.D. 633-656 with the fall of the Sassanids
and the decline of the Zoroastrian religion. As mentioned earlier, Iranians
follow the Asna Asheri sect of Shia Islam, which is also known as the 12 Imam
Shia Islam and is the second largest Muslim sect after the Sunni sect.
Shia hold fast to the teachings of the Prophet and believe that his
family, including his descendants, known as Aimah e Ahle Bait, have a special
spiritual and political rule over the Muslims.
According to Shia belief, the 12th Imam or Imam Mahdi will come as
a savior of the Ummah and will fight the battle with the Jews and the
Antichrist in which Mahdi will kill the Antichrist. Mahdi will be aided by the
second coming of Christ. According to the Hadiths the Antichrist, or Dajjal,
will be killed at the door of Lodd. (Presently, there is a major Israeli Air
Force base situated in Lodd.)
Shia Muslims take pride in Martyrdom. According to them, their
history is full of Martyrs starting from Imam Ali to Imam Hassan Askari, the
11th Imam.
The effect of this belief was seen during the Iran-Iraq War , when
Iranian mothers sent their children to fight Iraq, sometime as young as 14
years old. Iranians, inferior in Weapons, fought well against much superior
Iraqis who had the latest weapons given by Western powers.
The second factor that shapes the mindset of the Iranian Strategic
Elite is Pride in their national history and culture. Iran remained a dominant
power throughout history. Their language and culture have strong marks in all of
the Middle East and South and Central Asia. In my personal experience many
times I found Iranians displaying a superiority complex. They take pride in
their history and culture and are bound in actions under its influence.
During the Shah Mohammad
Raza Pehalvi’s Times, Iran aspired to become a regional power. Shah of Iran
dreamed Iran to be a superpower one day. Iranian intervention in Oman to curb
The Dhofar Rebellion (1962-75) was an effort in pursuit of the role of
leadership and regional power.
The Third Factor that shaped the Iranian psyche is the period of
exploitation by the Late Shah Mohammad Raza’s Regime, which was supported by
the United States and the West. His reign was regarded as the most corrupt, and
nepotism among the elite was the norm in government at the time. Vast oil and
natural resource deposits, as well as their income, were utilized to fund the lavish
lifestyles of the rich, while the poor suffered greatly under the US-backed regime.
In 1951 Muhammad Mossadaq,
an Iranian Nationalist by conviction was chosen as Prime Minister by Majlis. He
gained mass popularity and support which infuriated Shah’s regime.
Mossadaq Nationalized the oil industry which was largely controlled
by British oil companies. This infuriated the US and the British. At one time
Mossadaq reached a point of popularity where Shah became insecure and had to
escape from Iran. To save their oil interests American CIA and British MI6
Staged a coup and in the end, Shah was reinstalled and the most popular leader
of the masses was ousted.
The ousting of Mossadaq was a short-term relief for the American
and British-backed Shah. The public demand for change was forced underground but
finally, society erupted and under the guidance and leadership of Rohullah Khomeini
Iran witnessed a revolution in 1979, ending Anglo-American-supported Shah
Mohammed Raza Pehalvi’s regime.
Shah wanted to change Iran. He was over-ambitious and there were growing
economic gaps in society. Although Shah tried to bring reforms and modernize the
society, his policies and reforms were not accepted by traditional Iranian masses
who were hard-pressed due to the growing gap between rich and poor.
Mohammad Raza Pehalvi wanted to change the society. He wanted to return
of the era of Iranian glory. This he
expressed in October 1971 at the 2500th anniversary of the Iranian Monarchy.
For the ceremony, nearly all the heads of state were invited and a tent city
was created next to the ruins of Persepolis. According to reports this
anniversary cost 100 million Dollars, In a country where the poor were getting
poorer and the rich were getting richer, it was enough to add insult to injury for
the poor.
Another thing that was unwise but was done by Shah was an effort to
change the social setup of a deeply religious and conservative society. His
liberal ideas were not digestible for common Iranians. His regime was trying to
cross the limits of culture and religion. To implement his agenda he used
torture and all the ruthless tricks to suppress any dissent.
This made religious clerics against the Shah. His concessions to the
US and UK and the gap between rich and poor forced the left to oppose the shah and,
in the end, forced forces of Left (Mujahideen Khalaq) and Right (Mullahs)
joined hands to work together against the Shah Regime. In 1979 Iran underwent a
revolution. It was against Shah but US and West took it as anti-Western
revolution.
The revolution brought some changes as the new elite has its Values
to follow.
From the start west, especially the US took a hostile stance
against Iran and the revolution. The US and its allies instigated Iraq to wage
war against Iran and then Provided Iraq with the latest weapons. They urged
Arabs to support Iraq and presented the war as sectarian and Persian v. Arabs.
After Iran Iran-Iraq war, the US, and the West tried to pressure
and topple the Iranian government by putting sanctions on the pretext of
different issues and then supporting dissent in Iran against the Clerical
Regime.
According to Seymour Hirsh’s article, Redirection, Published in New
Yorker magazine in 2007. US and its allies are supporting anti-government
forces in Iranian Azerbaijan, Khuzestan and Kurdistan, etc.
Interestingly after the Iraq invasion in 2003, the US which had
designated Mujahideen Khalaq (MeK) as a Terrorist Organization and, which had
bases in Iraq was not touched. Similarly, Kurdish rebels were allowed to be
trained By Israeli commandos to be used in future conflicts with Iran.
The hostile stance of the West has had enormous effects on Iranian
strategic thinking and culture. Iran’s economy due to sanctions is in bad
shape. Iran which is a major oil producer can’t purify its oil and have to get
it refined from outside. US and West
support to dissent has made the Iranian regime more stubborn and motivated to safeguard
the Iranian Revolution.
Militarily the Iranians, due to continuous sanctions, have
developed special tactics and weapons to counter threats. They have also
maintained links with popular nonstatuesque forces in the region like Hamas in
Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis of Yemen, and like-minded groups in
Iraq and Syria.
Iran started its nuclear program to fulfill its energy needs but the
West accused it that it was making an Atomic bomb. Rohullah Khomeini, the spiritual
and ideologue of the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution, in one fatwa, declared WMD’s
haram, Although Iraqis under Saddam Hussain used Poisonous gasses against
Iranians, Iran never went after chemical weapons. Today Iranian government maintains
that nuclear weapons are haram and it is nuclear program is not for
weaponization.
Today US and Israel are seen as happy due to Syrian Protests and unrest against Bashar ul
Asads regime. In Israeli and American calculus Regime change in Syria is
necessary to cut down the line of supply to Hezbollah and Hamas and to limit
their freedom and capability to strike back in case Iran is attacked.
If Israel attacks Iran there will be repercussions throughout the Middle
East. Iranian first action would be to block the strait of Hurmuz by sinking
some ships and making it unusable for sea traffic. Attack on Iran will also
unite Iran and Persian pride will force nations to unite against outside threats.
Summing up Iranian Nuclear Program is criticized unjustly. Iran has
the right to use nuclear energy for its energy requirements. Iranian strategic
culture dictates Iran will never give up on outside pressure and the path it
feels is right.
Bibliography
1.
Behind
Iranian Lines by John Simson
2.
Delta
Force by Col Charli Beckwith
3.
Return
of Ayatullah by Mohammad Hussain Haykal
4.
Articles
of Robert Fisk
5.
The
Redirection (2007) by Seymor Hersh, New Yorker