Oil, Geo-economic and National Security of Iran

Oil and gas are among important factors affecting national security in countries producing or consuming energy. Since discovery of oil in Iran, this raw material has played a significant role in the country s policy, economy, and in general, in national security. With the transition from geostrategic to geo-economic discourse in the recent decades, oil has gained more importance in comparison to other factors, through improving the role of economy in global interactions which led to the introduction of oil as the essence of modern industry. Iran is regarded as a country of global importance for production and consumption of energy. On one hand, maintaining 56 percent of global oil reserves at Persian Gulf as well as 10. 39 percent at Caspian Sea, the country is centered at the oval of energy required for global economy and industry to continue their lives; on the other hand, Iran has located at the heart of three major gas zones in the world, namely Persian Gulf, West Siberia, and mid-Asia maintaining together 70. 2 percent of gas global resources. In addition, Iran holds the second position in global ranking both in gas resources (owning 15/8 percent of global gas resources) and oil reserves (oening 10. 3 percent of global gas resources). Regarding energy consumption, Iran links two major energy consumption markets: India and China at east and Europe at its west. These features have increased the importance of security for Iran and its surrounding areas in international system. Therefore, it seems that in the era of geo-economic discourses, Iran should employ its energy diplomacy and adapt interactional approaches, instead of oppositional ones, to create opportunities for interactions with international system and to improve its national security.