Effects of ISIS on Iranian Identity and Security within the Constructivist Theory

The Middle East is viewed as one of the most strategically important regions of the world, which has gone through many crises in the past. In recent years, it has been faced with another crisis known as the emergence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that has entangled some of the regional countries. This phenomenon as a transnational crisis has the possibility of spillover to other Middle Eastern nations. It also threatens the security and identity of all regional countries due to the radical identity that the ISIS has defined for itself. In this respect, this research seeks to explore the identity and security threats that the ISIS has posed to Iran. Considering the significant part identity plays in these threats, the theory of constructivism has been adopted in order to compare the ISIS identity and Iranian identity. ISIS threats to Iran include the danger of crushing the ideal of a united Islamic Ummah, Islamic unity and government, and Shia geopolitics.