Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Graduate Program in International Studies Dissertations Summer 2016 Assessing the Role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Extraterritorial Activities in Attaining Iran’s Foreign Policy Goals Hamza Demirel Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gpis_etds Part of the International Relations Commons, and the Near and Middle Eastern Studies Commons Recommended Citation Demirel, Hamza. "Assessing the Role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Extraterritorial Activities in Attaining Iran’s Foreign Policy Goals" (2016). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), dissertation, International Studies, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/ mfab-pf41 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gpis_etds/9 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Program in International Studies at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ASSESSING THE ROLE OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS CORPS’ EXTRATERRITORIAL ACTIVITIES IN ATTAINING IRAN’S FOREIGN POLICY GOALS by Hamza Demirel B.A. August 1997, Turkish Military Academy, Turkey M.A. August 2010, Army War College, Turkey A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL STUDIES OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY August 2016 Approved by: Regina C. Karp (Director) M. Şükrü Hanioğlu (Member) David C. Earnest (Member) ABSTRACT ASSESSING THE ROLE OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS CORPS’ EXTRATERRITORIAL ACTIVITIES IN ATTAINING IRAN’S FOREIGN POLICY GOALS Hamza Demirel Old Dominion University, 2016 Director: Dr. Regina C. Karp This dissertation aims at analyzing the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ (IRGC) extraterritorial activities in attaining Iran’s foreign policy goals. Based on observations and assessments from internal and external determinants, Iran’s foreign policy goals are defined as follows: regime survival, which is an indispensable goal of Iranian foreign policy, is above everything; state security and survival; projecting power and becoming the dominant power in the region. The regime has deliberately supported several armed non-state actors to achieve the aforementioned goals, and as seen in the case studies, the IRGC has served as a node in providing a broad range of state support. Although the IRGC has the characteristics of conventional armed forces, its extraterritorial activities contradict the legal frame of ‘use of military force’ and mostly fit the characteristics of ‘state sponsorship of terrorism.’ Moreover, these activities challenge international norms and provoke other regional actors. This condition creates an obstacle to Iran’s integration into the international system which is increasingly globalized and interconnected and an environment which is costly to live within and leaves it isolated. These attitudes paradoxically place Iran in a situation that challenges the goals of ‘state security and survival’ and ‘becoming the regional power’ in the long run. Thus, it is argued that the real reason behind the regime’s insistence on this strategy is preserving the current political system and the power of current ruling elites; in brief, it is labeled ‘regime survival’ in this study. iv © Copyright, 2016, by Hamza Demirel, All Rights Reserved. v To my wife Derya, and my children Enes, Eren, and Neda. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been completed without the support of so many people that have been instrumental in its completion. I am foremost indebted to my advisors for their contributions to this project. I have been particularly fortunate to have the opportunity to work with my Committee Chair Regina Karp on this project. I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the direction, and encouragement that she has. I have also benefited tremendously by having Professor David Earnest on my dissertation committee. His willingness to come on board as my committee member and valuable comments and advise truly contributed to my dissertation’s progress. I hold the highest measure of gratitude to Professor M. Şükrü Hanioğlu. He served not only as a committee member, but also provided the two-year opportunity to study at the Princeton University’s Department of Near Eastern Studies. This dissertation would not have been possible without his assistance, support and supervision. I would like to thank the faculty of both Old Dominion and Princeton universities who were instrumental in my scholarly and academic development. I am specifically indebted to retired U.S. Ambassador John Limbert who is one of the rare experts on Iran. I am thankful for his invaluable guidance, insights, interest, and time. Also, I would like to thank Persian lecturer Amineh Mahallati for her generous efforts to improve my Persian. I wish to express my gratitude to retired diplomat Dudley Sipprelle and his family, Sam Richter and Paul Babinski for reading and commenting on the drafts I wrote. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Zeki Sarıgil who shared his experiences and valuable suggestions on the theoretical and methodological framework of the vii study. I wish to also express my gratitude to Robert Murphy and Jon Stull for providing intellectual support and inspiration throughout my internship at the Joint Forces Staff College. I am also extremely grateful to my friend Kamil Karaduman who did not withhold his broad range of support that made the process less painful. Turkish Land Forces Command generously provided the opportunity and financial resources to pursue and complete my doctoral study. I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to my commanders for making this education possible. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to acknowledge the support I have received from my family. I am thankful for the patience of my sons: Enes and Eren, and my daughter Neda. Finally, I owe a special debt of gratitude to my wife, Derya who made it possible for me to finish this journey. Her love, patience, and selflessness created a peaceful environment in which I was able to survive on this study. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... X LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... XI Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................1 II. BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................11 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................11 IRAN’S DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE, GEOPOLITICAL POSITION AND STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE .........................................................................................12 THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS BEFORE THE 1979 IRANIAN REVOLUTION .................................................................................................................19 THE CAUSES OF THE 1979 IRANIAN REVOLUTION ..............................................35 POST-REVOLUTIONARY WORLDVIEW AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE ...........37 FOREIGN POLICY OF IRAN AFTER THE REVOLUTION .......................................47 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................55 III. CONCEPTUALIZING IRANIAN FOREIGN POLICY AND IRAN’S FOREIGN POLICY GOALS ...................................................................................................................58 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................58 FOREIGN POLICY DECISION-MAKING AND KEY INDIVIDUALS AND BODIES IN CHARGE OF FOREIGN POLICY .............................................................59 EVOLUTION OF IRANIAN FOREIGN POLICY AND THE EMERGENCE OF FACTIONS .......................................................................................................................64 FACTIONS AND THEIR WORLDVIEW ......................................................................81 THE LIMITS OF IDEOLOGY AND PRAGMATISM ...................................................83 IN LIEU OF A CONCLUSION: THE CHARACTERISTICS OF IRANIAN FOREIGN POLICY AND IRAN’S FOREIGN POLICY GOALS .................................93 IV. THE IRGC’S EXTRATERRITORIAL ACTIVITIES: LEBANESE HEZBOLLAH AND SHIITE GROUPS IN POST-2003 OCCUPIED IRAQ ..............................................103 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................103 THE MILITARY IN REVOLUTIONARY IRAN .........................................................104 THE IRGC’S RELATIONS WITH LEBANESE HEZBOLLAH .................................119 ΤHE IRGC’S RELATIONS WITH SHIITE GROUPS IN POST-2003 OCCUPIED IRAQ ...............................................................................................................................139 ix Chapter Page V. ASSESSING THE IRGC’S EXTRATERRITORIAL ACTIVITIES