DOCSLIB.ORG

Iran's Empire Strikes Back: Lessons from the Soviet Union

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Iran's Empire Strikes Back: Lessons from the Soviet Union The Journal for Interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies Volume 5, Fall 2019, pp. 33-54 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26351/JIMES/5/2 ISSN: 2522-347X (print); 2522-6959 (online) Iran’s Empire Strikes Back: Lessons from the Soviet Union Ofira Seliktar and Farhad Rezaei Abstract This article argues that in the process of spreading its Islamist revolution, the Iranian regime created a Shiite empire based on a string of proxies from Lebanon to Yemen. However, like in the Soviet empire, this ideologically- driven project required a tremendous investment of resources. This imperial outreach had to be balanced with another mission of the regime, to provide a decent existence to its citizens, notably the impoverished lower classes. The imposition of sanctions sharpened the inherent contradiction between the regime’s dual commitments, leaving the country ill-prepared to tackle a series of crises ranging from a dysfunctional banking system to water shortage and environmental degradation. Based on the lessons from the Soviet Union, the Islamic Republic overreach would contribute to its demise. Keywords: Iran, Soviet Union, exporting revolution, crisis of legitimacy, Shiite Empire Prof. Ofira Selktar – Gratz College; [email protected] Dr. Farhad Rezaei – The Center for International Policy Studies (CIPS) at the University of Ottawa; [email protected] 33 34 Ofira Seliktar and Farhad Rezaei Introduction When announcing the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini vowed to fulfill the “sacred mission” of spreading the Islamist revolution in the region and beyond. Over the next decades, Khomeini’s vision created the so-called Shiite crescent, a de facto Iranian empire based on a chain of proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. This impressive Shiite empire has required an enormous investment to keep it viable. Most recently, however, cracks appeared in the Iranian built edifice. Massive civil protest rocked Lebanon and Iraq, and the Iranian infrastructure in Syria was devastated by raids of the Israeli Air Force. More to the point, during the periodic waves of domestic unrest, protesters voiced their anger at the fact that the cost of the empire’s upkeep condemned them to penury. In many respects, the Iranian experience resembles the fate of the Soviet empire. Dedicated to the export of communism in the wake of WWII, the Soviet Union created its own empire in Eastern Europe and encouraged communist insurgencies all over the globe. However, in an inversion of the economic model of the colonial empires of Great Britain and Spain, it was the Soviet Union that bore the cost of its domain. Coupled with a highly inefficient economic system, maintaining the empire took a considerable toll on the regime. By the 1980s, the country was plagued by food shortages, a collapsing health system, and unprecedented ecological degradation. Soviet-style communism became a by- word for corruption, dysfunctionality, and behavioral malaise known as anomie. First to rebel were Moscow’s satellites in Eastern Europe, followed by unrest in the Baltic republics. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, tried to reform the system only to trigger the collapse of the communist empire. The present work attempts to analyze the domestic crisis in Iran through the methodology developed to study the collapse of the Soviet Union. The underlying assumption is that the stressors of reverse colonialism compounded by the neo- patrimonial political-economic system and the sanctions regimen would eventually force a regime change in Iran. Iran’s Empire Strikes Back: Lessons from the Soviet Union 35 The paper has three parts. Part One will provide an overview of the tensions between revolutionary export and the effort to fulfill the regime’s commitment to improving the wellbeing of the population. Part Two will discuss the legitimacy crisis posed by the sanction regimen. Part Three will analyze the so-called externalities, which are consequences of neglecting crucial functions of the state, such as banking and the environment. The concluding section will assess the capacity of the regime to overcome these problems without giving up most, if not all, of its revolutionary export project. Improving the Wellbeing of the Mustazafeen and Revolutionary Export: The Fundamental Contradiction of the Islamist Regime There was nothing in traditional Shiite theology to indicate an inclination to partake in political activism. To the contrary, most of the ayatollahs, including Grand Ayatollah Hossein Borujerdi, were strong advocates of clerical quietism. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, however, broke with tradition by insisting that a proper Islamic political order should be based on the principle of velayat-e faqih, the rule of a capable jurist. Once in power, Khomeini introduced two additional theological innovations that have shaped the character of the regime. In his view, Islam should be dedicated to redeeming the mustazafeen (Refahe Mustazafeen), the oppressed lower classes of Iran. Ali Shariati, the Islamist sociologist, was the first one to elaborate on this principle in his work on “Third Way” socialism. Shariati contended that Islamic economics should adopt a middle way between Western capitalism and communism. In one of his earliest statements, Khomeini vowed to create an economic system that would improve the lives of the poorest members of society. However, eschewing both the free market and Marxist egalitarianism forced the new regime to pick a variant of the economic system known as neopatrimonialism. In a neo-patrimonial system the ruling elite used public resources to pay off its clients, mostly the poorer sections of the population. 36 Ofira Seliktar and Farhad Rezaei Khomeini was equally dedicated to exporting the Islamist revolution to the Middle East and beyond. Velayat-e faqih asserted that the mandate of the religious ruler extends beyond Iran to include the entire ummah, the universe of Muslim countries. According to Khomeini, the nation-state was a Western construct and part of the imperial-colonial design, which he considered to be heretical (kufr) in Islam. Liberating the non-Iranian mustazafeen thus required propagating Islam (tabligh-e eslam) and exporting the revolution (sudur engilab). For instance, on January 14, 1980, Ayatollah Khomeini stated: “We are at war against the infidels […] I ask all Islamic nations, all Muslims, to join the holy war. There are many enemies to be killed or destroyed. Jihad must triumph.” In a New Year message on March 21, 1980, he announced that “we must strive to export our revolution throughout the world and must abandon all ideas of not doing so.”1 Among the enemies to be destroyed, Israel was high on the list. Indeed, the Supreme Leader postulated that the Islamist revolution could not be completed without the liberation of Jerusalem. The United States, “the Great Satan,” was not far behind, because it supported the Jewish state. Although there was considerable opposition in the provisional government, Khomeini and his then heir apparent, Ayatollah Ali Montazeri, the so-called “Iranian Trotsky,” pushed for an immediate implementation of sodure enghilab. To get around the government, on April 22, 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini announced the foundation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), known popularly as the Revolutionary Guards. Ostensibly, the IRGC was limited to domestic operations, but it was quite clear that spreading the revolution was also on the agenda. As Montazeri put it in a talk to IRGC commanders, “You Guardian brothers should protect Islam and the Islamic Revolution, and with your efforts, our Islamic revolution will be exported to other countries.”2 He added, “We want people of the region, affected by the essence of our revolution, to wake up and 1 Yossef Bodansky, Target America & the West: Terrorism Today (New York: S.P.I. Books, 1993), p. 167; Richard J. Leitner and Peter M. Leitner (eds.), Unheeded Warnings: The Lost Reports of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare (Washington: Crossbow Books, 2007), p. 193; Shmuel Bar, Iranian Terrorist Policy and Export of Revolution, Institute for Policy and Strategy, Working Paper, 2009. 2 Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, The Memoir (Iran: KETAB Corp, 2001), p. 565. Iran’s Empire Strikes Back: Lessons from the Soviet Union 37 start their revolutionary movement.” In due time, the IRGC described its mission in transnational terms: “The Islamic Revolution does not have any borders […] The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps does not have the word ‘Iran’ in its title. This means that it seeks to defend the Islamic Revolution and its achievements without regard to particular borders.”3 In due time, the Guards created a dedicated foreign operation wing, the Quds Force (QF), which was charged with revolutionary export. In what amounted to a brilliant strategy, the QF sponsored a series of Shiite proxies, starting with Hezbollah in Lebanon. In the early 1990s, the QF encouraged the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas to launch devastating suicide bombings to undermine the Oslo peace process. After Hamas took over the Gaza Strip, Iran armed the two groups to create a southern front against Israel. The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 provided the IRGG-QF an opportunity to form new militias under the umbrella of Popular Mobilization Forces [al-Ḥashd ash-Shaʿbī]. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who inherited the Trotskyite mandate from Khomeini, called the American decision “a gift of God.” According to recently leaked documents, the Iranians managed to penetrate every corner of the Iraqi state. So much so that Major General Qassem Suleimani, the legendary head of the QF, became known as the “viceroy of Iraq.”4 The Arab Spring gave the IRGC-QF leverage in the Gulf area. Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, a group within the Zaidi-Shiite community in Yemen, challenged the elected government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. Having adopted the Anti-Access, Area Denial (A2/AD) plan to block naval traffic in strategic naval passages such as Bab al Mandab, the IRGC-QF decided to back the Houthis.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Alexander Von Nordheim Mphil Thesis
    IRAN'S ISLAMIC REVOLUTION: THE ULAMA, THE WEST, NATIONALISM, AND THE GROWTH OF POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS Alexander von Nordheim A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of MPhil at the University of St. Andrews 2012 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3231 This item is protected by original copyright SUBMISSION OF PHD AND MPHIL THESES REQUIRED DECLARATIONS 1. Candidate's declarations: ...... , hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately ..... words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in [month, year] and as a candidate for the degree of ..... in [month, year]; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between [year] and [year]. (If you received assistance in writing from anyone other than your supervisor/s): I, ......, received assistance in the writing of this thesis in respect of [language, grammar, spelling or syntax], which was provided by ....... Date .......signature of candidate .......... 2. Supervisor's declaration: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of ...........in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date .......signature of supervisor ..........
    [Show full text]
  • Country Report Iran March 2017
    _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Country Report Iran Generated on November 13th 2017 Economist Intelligence Unit 20 Cabot Square London E14 4QW United Kingdom _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit is a specialist publisher serving companies establishing and managing operations across national borders. For 60 years it has been a source of information on business developments, economic and political trends, government regulations and corporate practice worldwide. The Economist Intelligence Unit delivers its information in four ways: through its digital portfolio, where the latest analysis is updated daily; through printed subscription products ranging from newsletters to annual reference works; through research reports; and by organising seminars and presentations. The firm is a member of The Economist Group. London New York The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit 20 Cabot Square The Economist Group London 750 Third Avenue E14 4QW 5th Floor United Kingdom New York, NY 10017, US Tel: +44 (0) 20 7576 8181 Tel: +1 212 541 0500 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7576 8476 Fax: +1 212 586 0248 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Hong Kong Geneva The Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit 1301 Cityplaza Four Rue de l’Athénée 32 12 Taikoo Wan Road 1206 Geneva Taikoo Shing Switzerland Hong Kong Tel: +852 2585 3888 Tel: +41 22 566 24 70 Fax: +852 2802 7638 Fax: +41 22 346 93 47 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] This report can be accessed electronically as soon as it is published by visiting store.eiu.com or by contacting a local sales representative.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Dilemma in Isfahan and International Tourists' Effect on It
    Water Dilemma in Isfahan and International Tourists’ effect on it By: Sheyma Karimi Supervisor: Saeid Abbasian Master’s dissertation 15 credits Södertörn University | School of Social Science Abstract Tourism is one of the leading industries, in terms of international trading between countries. In addition to receipts received at destinations, international tourism has also generated US$211 billion in exports through international passenger transport services. The study is conducted in Isfahan, a city in center of Iran. The city is unique in its cultural heritage and archeology. It is one of Iran's oldest cities at more than 1,500 years of age. An important cultural and commercial center, Isfahan is Iran's third largest metropolitan area. Isfahan experiences an arid climate, like the rest of the Iranian plateau with low rainfall. Isfahan has a high capacity to attract international tourists to provide a better understanding of Iran’s history, culture, and natural environment to the world. Zayandeh Rud which means “life-giving River” is the largest Iranian plateau and the most important surface water in Isfahan. It starts from Zagros Mountains and ends in the Gavkhouni Swamp, a seasonal salt lake in the southeast of Isfahan. The catchment area has been affected by two drought periods within the last 15 years. Decreasing surface and groundwater availability has been accompanied by an increase in water withdrawal for irrigation, domestic uses, industry, and water transfers to neighboring provinces. This has led to severe ecological and social consequences. This study identifies the potentials of Isfahan in attracting international tourists and also evaluate the water crisis that the city faces.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran's Unwavering Israel-Hatred
    Iran’s Unwavering Israel-Hatred Dr. Doron Itzchakov BESA Center Perspectives No. 1,104, March 6, 2019 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Four decades ago, the revolutionary movement led by Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty and established the Islamic Republic of Iran on its ruins. Since then, significant changes have taken place in the discourse and concepts of its leaders. However, the Iranian political establishment has never wavered in its relentless hostility towards Israel. Once a friend to Israel, Tehran overnight became an archenemy dedicated to its destruction. Iran’s overnight shift from Israel’s friend to its archenemy was a strange and shocking turn of events. The two countries do not share a common border, and there is no conflict between them regarding the presence of an ethnic or religious minority – including the Jewish community living in Iran. So what was the source of such virulent and apparently indestructible hostility? To answer this question, it is helpful to examine the pattern of bilateral relations that developed between the countries not long after the establishment of the State of Israel. Bilateral relations between monarchist Iran and Israel began to warm gradually upon Iran's de facto recognition of Israel in March 1950. Iran was the second Muslim country after Turkey to recognize Israel and even opened consular representation in Jerusalem. The relationship was established during a period of global and regional change that influenced Tehran's geopolitical status, both as a buffer between East and West and within the Muslim world. Iran had to position itself in the new international order. It was a Shiite monarchy in the heart of a volatile Sunni region that was being shaken by new waves of Arab nationalism.
    [Show full text]
  • Diplomatic Unease Casts Shadow on Jordan-Iran Ties
    16 April 23, 2017 News & Analysis Iran Diplomatic unease casts shadow on Jordan-Iran ties The Arab Weekly staff “It is advisable that the Jordanian king take a passing look first at the statistics released about the Jorda- London nian terrorists joining [the Islamic State] and other blood-spilling and iplomatic relations be- ignorant groups and then make tween Jordan and Iran an opinion on Iran which is on the are going through a pe- frontline of the fight against terror- riod of unease following ism and extremism and striving to the trading of insults be- strengthen security in the region,” Dtween Amman and Tehran. Ghasemi said. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said said it summoned Iranian Ambas- Ghasemi’s “unacceptable” com- sador to Amman Mujtaba Fardousi ments were “a failed attempt to Bour to deliver a “strongly worded misrepresent the central role the protest.” kingdom plays in supporting re- The protest was against a state- gional security and stability and ment from Iranian Foreign Minis- fighting terrorism.” try spokesman Bahram Ghasemi branding comments Jordanian King King Abdullah said Abdullah II made to the Washington Iran was involved in Post as “silly and careless.” “strategic problems” King Abdullah told the American in the region. newspaper that Iran was involved in “strategic problems” in the re- gion. “There is an attempt to forge a Former Jordanian Ambassador to geographic link between Iran, Iraq, Tehran Bassam al-Amoush told the Syria and Hezbollah/Lebanon,” he website AlkhaleejOnline.net that said. the “Iranian transgression against He added that Iran’s Islamic Revo- Jordan needed a strong response, lutionary Guards Corps troops were especially since the proximity of within 70km of Jordan’s border and the Iranians from the Jordanian- Better days.
    [Show full text]
  • In Iran? How Did Rouhani Avoid a "Venezuelan : Ωϭοϭϣϟ΍Ϥ΍ϭϧϋ Scenario" in Iran? 21/05/2017 : Έηϧϟ΍Φϳέύη
    How did Rouhani Avoid a "Venezuelan : ωϭοϭϣϟ΍ϡγ΍ Scenario" in Iran? How did Rouhani Avoid a "Venezuelan : ωϭοϭϣϟ΍ϥ΍ϭϧϋ Scenario" in Iran? 21/05/2017 : έηϧϟ΍ΦϳέΎΗ ΔϣΩϘΗϣϟ΍ΕΎγ΍έΩϟ΍ϭΙΎΣΑϸϟϝΑϘΗγϣϟ΍ίϛέϣ : ΏΗΎϛϟ΍ϡγ΍ : ωϭοϭϣϟ΍ 10/2/2021 2:24:03 AM 1 / 2 Competition between Iran¶s 12th presidential candidates that was held on May 19, 2017, heated up after their debates concluded only one week before the race began, with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a conservative politician and former military officer, and incumbent Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, dropped out of the race. In the May 12 third debate which kept its focus on the economic situation, incumbent reformist President Hassan Rouhani, appeared to have taken the lead from conservative candidate Ebrahim Raisi, the current custodian and chairman of Astan Quds Razavi in Mashhad City. Rouhani focused on potential risks that Iran would face if it adopts the economic policies pursued by the conservatives, that, in his view, would result in having what can be called a ³Venezuelan scenario´in Iran.Rouhani pointed out that the other candidates are promising higher financial subsidies for citizens and said it would be possible but might result in a scenario similar to that of Venezuela where inflation rates have soared. For Rouhani, this threatens Iran¶s economic and political stability. This concurs with warnings from some Iranian officials that Iran could be hit by a wave of violence that could be more severe than the 2009 protests staged by a group of reformists, known then as the Green Movement, against the presidential elections in which former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won a second term.Proponents of Ahmadinejad's PoliciesRouhani reaffirmed that such policies are largely similar to economic measures taken by the government of two times President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, especially with regards to providing financial subsidies to citizens, which then caused inflation rates to jump to as high as 40% under the conservative president.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran Report 5 Budget Final Review
    A Budget for Challenging Times To what extent will the government’s 2019-20 Budget shield Iranians from economic turmoil? ECONOMIC RISK SERIES NO.3 | MAY 2019 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Predicting Iran’s revenues for the financial year 2019- 20 (which ends in March 2020) is nearly impossible as the full impact of US sanctions is not yet known. What is certain, however, is that the state will be met with a sizeable budget deficit, ranging from 20% to 45% depending on scenarios. • Iran’s 2019-20 (Persian Year 1398) budget aims to protect the population from the worst effects of the economic crisis, which will involve postponing long- term structural reforms and depleting foreign exchange reserves. The state’s fear of public protest has pushed it to become the world-leading subsidiser of fossil fuels, thus wasting $45bn per year. • The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and religious foundations have seen their budgets increase in the context of the “Resistance Economy”, much to the discontent of Iranians. • Recent floods will cost as much as $2.5bn, a significant burden for the government to bear. Who are we? Castlereagh Associates is a research and analysis company, providing clients with key insights to support their decision-making and enable them to build more competitive and resilient businesses on national, regional and global levels. Copyright © 2019 Castlereagh Associates- All Rights Reserved. Credits: Copyright © Shutterstock IRANIAN PARLIAMENT A BUDGET FOR CHALLENGING TIMES: A Widening Budget Deficit: $76bn $61bn $50bn Planned Revenues Planned Revenues Planned Revenues $72bn $72bn $72bn Planned Spending Planned Spending Planned Spending Source: The draft budget 2019- Source: Donya-e-Eqtesad, Our Worst-Case Scenario 20, presented by Donya-e- March 2019, Page.194 Eqtesad Masood Nili 3 3 ECONOMIC RISK SERIES NO.3 | MAY 2019 Iranian parliamentarians always aim for a zero-deficit budget.
    [Show full text]
  • PARADISE LOST? Developing Solutions to Irans Environmental Crisis 2 PARADISE LOST 3 Developing Solutions to Irans Environmental Crisis
    PARADISE LOST 1 Developing solutions to Irans environmental crisis PARADISE LOST? Developing solutions to Irans environmental crisis 2 PARADISE LOST 3 Developing solutions to Irans environmental crisis PARADISE LOST? Developing solutions to Irans environmental crisis 4 About Heinrich Böll Foundation About Small Media The Heinrich Böll Foundation, affiliated with Small Media is an organisation working to the Green Party and headquartered in the support civil society development and human heart of Berlin, is a legally independent political rights advocacy in the Middle East. We do foundation working in the spirit of intellectual this by providing research, design, training, openness. The Foundation’s primary objective and technology support to partners across is to support political education both within the region, and by working with organisations Germany and abroad, thus promoting to develop effective and innovative digital democratic involvement, sociopolitical activism, advocacy strategies and campaigns. We also and cross-cultural understanding. The provide digital security support to a range of Foundation also provides support for art and partners to ensure that they can work safely culture, science and research, and and securely. development cooperation. Its activities are guided by the fundamental political values of ecology, democracy, solidarity, and non-violence. Acknowledgements Small Media and the Heinrich Böll Foundation would like to thank all of the contributors to this report, who for security purposes have chosen to remain anonymous. This research would not have been possible without their generous assistance and support. Credits Research James Marchant // Valeria Spinelli // Mo Hoseini Design Richard Kahwagi // Surasti Puri This report was printed using FSC® certified uncoated paper, made from 100% recycled pulp.
    [Show full text]
  • The Intelligence Organization of the IRGC: a Major Iranian Intelligence Apparatus Dr
    רמה כ ז מל ו תשר מה ו ד י ע י ן ( למ מ" ) רמה כרמ כ ז ז מל מה ו י תשר עד מל מה ו ד ו י ד ע י י ע ן י ן ו רטל ( למ ו מ" ר ) כרמ ז מה י עד מל ו ד י ע י ן ו רטל ו ר The Intelligence Organization of the IRGC: A Major Iranian Intelligence Apparatus Dr. Raz Zimmt November 5, 2020 Main Argument The Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has become a major intelligence apparatus of the Islamic Republic, having increased its influence and broadened its authorities. Iran’s intelligence apparatus, similar to other control and governance apparatuses in the Islamic Republic, is characterized by power plays, rivalries and redundancy. The Intelligence Organization of the IRGC, which answers to the supreme leader, operates alongside the Ministry of Intelligence, which was established in 1984 and answers to the president. The redundancy and overlap in the authorities of the Ministry of Intelligence and the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization have created disagreements and competition over prestige between the two bodies. In recent years, senior regime officials and officials within the two organizations have attempted to downplay the extent of disagreements between the organizations, and strove to present to domestic and foreign audience a visage of unity. The IRGC’s Intelligence Organization (ILNA, July 16, 2020) The IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, in its current form, was established in 2009. The Organization’s origin is in the Intelligence Unit of the IRGC, established shortly after the Islamic Revolution (1979).
    [Show full text]
  • Water Management in Iran: What Is Causing the Looming Crisis
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264936452 Water management in Iran: What is causing the looming crisis Article in Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences · December 2014 DOI: 10.1007/s13412-014-0182-z CITATIONS READS 81 1,742 1 author: Kaveh Madani Imperial College London 163 PUBLICATIONS 2,275 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: System of Systems Analysis of Electricity Technologies in the European Union View project CHANSE: Coupled Human And Natural Systems Environment for water management under uncertainty in the Indo-Gangetic Plain View project All content following this page was uploaded by Kaveh Madani on 22 August 2014. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. J Environ Stud Sci DOI 10.1007/s13412-014-0182-z Water management in Iran: what is causing the looming crisis? Kaveh Madani # AESS 2014 Abstract Despite having a more advanced water manage- Introduction ment system than most Middle Eastern countries, similar to the other countries in the region, Iran is experiencing a serious Located in West Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea in the north, water crisis. The government blames the current crisis on the and the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman in the south, Iran is the changing climate, frequent droughts, and international sanc- second largest country in the Middle East (after Saudi Arabia) tions, believing that water shortages are periodic. However, and the 18th largest country in the world with an area of the dramatic water security issues of Iran are rooted in decades 1,648,195 km2.
    [Show full text]
  • I Rapporto Annuale 2017-2018 Iii Poco a Poco Mentre Sono Al Volante E in Pubblico, Accettando Il Prezzo Della Loro Protesta
    Rapporto Annuale 2017-2018 i INDICE 1 Introduzione 2 Le donne: la forza trainante delle proteste 6 Le donne pagano il prezzo della libertà 11 Le donne delle minoranze etniche e religiose 14 Le donne oppresse con il velo 18 Il divario di genere e la discriminazione delle donne 22 Le donne in cima alla lista degli analfabeti 24 Superare una montagna di ostacoli: le donne e lo sport in Iran 28 Le donne e le moltissime restrizioni in campo musicale 29 La violenza di stato sulle donne 32 Le insegnanti e le infermiere subiscono enormi pressioni 36 L’aumento dei matrimoni precoci influenza la società 38 La povertà e le dipendenze mietono moltissime vittime tra le donne 42 Il terremoto ha creato vedove e donne capo-famiglia ii Comitato delle Donne del CNRI Rapporto Annuale 2017-2018 iii poco a poco mentre sono al volante e in pubblico, accettando il prezzo della loro protesta. INTRODUZIONE La situazione delle donne è così delicata che il presidente dei mullah, Hassan Rouhani, non osa includere neanche una donna nel suo governo. e donne sono davvero la Forza per il Sebbene tutti gli osservatori ritengano che Cambiamento. l'inclusione di più donne non riuscirebbe a risolvere Si è visto chiaramente in Iran nel corso di tutto i problemi che devono affrontare nella società l'anno passato e naturalmente, in maniera iraniana, il regime teocratico è così vulnerabile che Lpiù consistente, durante le rivolte di Dicembre e non può permettersi neanche il più piccolo gesto di Gennaio. facciata a questo riguardo. Sebbene la situazione in Iran sia estremamente Ed infine, nonostante l'inesistente partecipazione opprimente e le donne siano state le più colpite dalla alla leadership e alle decisioni politiche, le donne repressione degli ultimi 39 anni, contrariamente sono state presenti ovunque durante le proteste alle aspettative del regime le donne non si sono e in centinaia di queste, lo scorso anno, hanno sottomesse.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Economy of the IRGC's Involvement in the Iranian Oil and Gas Industry
    The Political Economy of the IRGC’s involvement in the Iranian Oil and Gas Industry: A Critical Analysis MSc Political Science (Political Economy) Thesis Research Project: The Political Economy of Energy University of Amsterdam, Graduate School of Social Sciences 5th June 2020 Author: Hamed Saidi Supervisor: Dr. M. P. (Mehdi) Amineh (1806679) Second reader: Dr. S. (Said) Rezaeiejan [This page is intentionally left blank] 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................ 3 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................... 7 Maps ................................................................................................................................................ 8 List of Figures and Tables ................................................................................................................. 10 List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ 11 I: RESEARCH DESIGN .................................................................................................................................... 13 1.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]