نشریه مطالعات خاورمیانه
سال سی و یکم شماره 2 (پیاپی 116، تابستان 1403)

The historical evidence indicates that water resources and water infrastructure have been utilized as tools, objectives, or weapons in conflicts, disputes, and wars throughout various periods on different scales—local, national, regional, and even global. Despite the development and implementation of international humanitarian laws over the past centuries, it has not been able to sufficiently address and protect essential non-military infrastructures, especially water resources and related facilities. Consequently, the existing laws appear inadequate, sometimes ineffective, or lacking in adequate and suitable enforcement guarantees. As a result, the presented data suggests a rising trend of abuse and conflicts related to water, indicating shortcomings in the legal frameworks.This article examines the role of violence against water resources and associated systems within the framework of international human rights laws, reviewing and highlighting some past attacks and abuses from ancient times to the present. It also explores weaknesses and deficiencies in the current systems and proposes solutions for improving international frameworks to safeguard vital water infrastructures, drawing on the insights of expert opinions.

In hydro hegemony, dams as infrastructure facilities, in addition to political and economic benefits at the national level, are considered hydropolitical tools at the regional level, which have the ability to change the power structure and hydro political relations in a water basin. A government that enjoys this advantage tends to read water resources as power. Due to having hydro-hegemony components, Turkey has the ability to change regional political outputs. These changes have the possibility of affecting Iran's national security in the water basins of Kura-Aras, Tigris and Euphrates. By examining Turkey's water mechanisms and the concept of hydro-hegemony, this article tries to answer the question of how the rise of Turkey's hydro-hegemony in the Tigris, Euphrates and Kora-Ars water basins affects Iran's national security? Relying on the environmental security of Bari Buzan in the form of system exploration method, the authors have come to the conclusion that Turkey's hydro hegemonic rise affects Iran's national security directly and indirectly through; Jeopardizing food security, affect climate changes, demographic changes, the spread of radicalism in the region, and the strengthening of Turkey's political bargaining power against Iran.

One of the rivers that forms about 42 kilometers of the common border between the two countries of Iran and Iraq; The border river is Sirvan. So far, no agreement has been drawn up between the two countries regarding the use of the water of this river. The present research was carried out with the aim of "investigating the security challenges of the Sirvan border river based on regional and international laws and regulations". The subject is descriptive and analytical. Data collection has been done by using a tool to scan documents and documents. The analysis of the findings has been done using the qualitative content analysis method.

The possibility of a negative reaction of the local people to any action by the Iranian government for a political agreement without considering the economic interests and geopolitical requirements with the country of Iraq; The unprofessional exploitation of the mentioned river in the regional area and in general the economic and security challenges, including the security challenges of the border river of Sirvan, are based on regional laws and regulations and can be in the international arena as well; Iraq filed a lawsuit in international forums against Iran; It will lead to slander against Iran in the domestic arena (public opinion) of Iraq.

Achieving a comprehensive agreement, agreeable to all parties and in accordance with international laws, between the Republic of Iran and Iraq is one of the prerequisites for establishing stable security in the western borders of our country.

As a complex human-natural system, Water has political and security dimensions in addition to its economic and environmental aspects. Nowadays, the issue of the dispute over common water resources is one of the most important environmental challenges in the world, which can endanger the security and stability of countries. For this reason, water is mentioned as a decisive resource in the relations of countries, and since the solution of disputes arising from common water resources is not the responsibility of countries alone, more attention should be paid to water diplomacy and hydropolitics. In this research, the authors have used the case study of Iran and Afghanistan (about the Hirmand River) to identify the role of water diplomacy. The question of the current research is that whether water diplomacy can accelerate the process of promoting friendly relations between countries or not. The hypothesis proposed in response to the research question is that water diplomacy can help to improve relations at all levels as a network of cooperation, and also within the framework of the theory of functionalism, water diplomacy can accelerate the peace-making process and instead of being the source of conflict is the source of peace and strengthening relations. Also, this article examines the reason for the failure of water diplomacy between Iran and Afghanistan based on the "Access Theory". The method used in this article is descriptive-adaptive and it was done in a library methods and articles, books and websites were used.

This study examines the hydropolitical developments in the Euphrates basin over the past two decades utilizing the hydropolitical security complex framework. The primary research question is: "How have power dynamics in the last two decades influenced the hydropolitical security complex of the Euphrates?" The research hypothesis posits that the dynamics of vertical and horizontal relationships have transformed shared water resources from a factor for sustainable development into a variable for power acquisition. Furthermore, it suggests that the emergence of new actors has increased the complexity of water interactions within the Euphrates hydropolitical security complex. This investigation employs a qualitative methodology and analysis of credible documents to examine vertical and horizontal relationships within the basin. The findings indicate that, in addition to changes in the regional power structure and the emergence of new actors, climate change has also altered the basin's hydropolitical dynamics. This research aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of recent developments, offering a deeper understanding of the intertwining of water relations and broader security issues in the Euphrates basin.

Around the Iranian Religious Intellectualism, as one of the thought focuses in the Middle East, there are various definitions and descriptions and challenges. This dispute in definition, has made, the tastes and various tendencies, each other, have different, contradictory and uncertainties for Iranian Religious Intellectualism. In the ahead article, the main question will be that, how is the formation and Discourse Analysis of “Iranian Religious intellectualism” and what is this formation of similar intellectual currents in the Middle East? The answer to this question is followed by the help of the discourse analysis method (Laclau and Mouffe). In the way that, “discourse” is also used as a theoretical framework and as a tool and method for analysis to reach its goal, which is a comprehensive explanation and a relative consensus on the concept of Religious Intellectualism. The research hypothesis is based on which Religious Intellectualism discourse has been a fluid state and different item of discourse analysis like points, hegemony and his others, are fluctuating in continuous and altered articulation. This discourse also in proportion to the intellectual flows of the Middle East (with a slight distance) follow common and meaningful patterns. The main achievement of this article will be from providing a discursive and provisional model in recognizing the “Iranian Religious intellectualism” flow (As a minor item and elective of the reformation of religious thinking in the Middle East).

Deep geopolitical changes in West Asia have significantly impacted the relations between Iran and the UAE. The geographical position and strategic importance of this region have made it one of the most critical areas in the world, with the active presence of regional and extra-regional actors directly influencing this relationship. This research aims to evaluate Iran's behavioral pattern towards the UAE in West Asia, particularly following the developments arising from the Islamic Awakening and the Arab-Israeli normalization. The events of 2011 and 2020 have transformed the balance of regional power, strategic environment, and the geopolitical arrangement in West Asia. The central research question is: What has been the behavioral pattern of the Islamic Republic of Iran towards the United Arab Emirates in the West Asian region? Using the concept of geoplinomics, it is argued that Tehran's behavioral pattern aims to maintain a balance of power in West Asia while expanding economic and trade relations with the UAE. However, geopolitical concerns, such as territorial disputes over the three islands, normalization of relations with the Israeli regime alongside military agreements and information exchanges, and the weakening of the resistance axis, along with the UAE's close cooperation with Western Arab states, have increased tensions in West Asia, particularly between Iran and the UAE. This study employs a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing trend analysis and case studies as qualitative research methods, and gathers information from documentary-library sources and reputable online platforms.

Since the 1990s, Jordan has been facing the Violent Salafism and in cases such as "Bay'at al-Imam", "November 9th Explosions" and "Karak Cell" has dealt with this movement judicially. But this movement is rooted in this country and the presence of its supporters has been evident at focal points. So the government resorted to the strategy of "Soft Confrontation" to deal with this issue. The purpose of this article is to study this program, and in this regard, a descriptive analytical method has been used for data processing."Soft Confrontation" includes a group of different intellectual, psychological, educational, media and artistic encounters, which have the three main goals of "Preventing Radicalization", "De-Radicalization and Facilitating the Return to the Society" and "Confronting the Narrative of Violent Salafism". This program in Jordan is based on the presentation of an "Official Religion" and tries to create an alternative narrative to the narrative of the Violent Salafi movement by changing educational, media and artistic contents. The processes of rehabilitating Violent Salafi prisoners and facilitating their return to society is another aspect of this program.The results of soft confrontation need more time to appear, and it is not possible to write definitively about its achievements; However, mistrust of the government and its dependent clerics, harsh treatment and violation of prisoners' rights, lack of attention to the importance of cinema, the dominance of security apparatuses and the insufficient role of non-governmental associations are the most important obstacles to the success of this program in Jordan.

Today, the tourism industry plays an important role in the economic growth and income generation of countries. Turkey has also grown significantly in this field in the last two decades. The research examined the impact of tourism on Türkiye's economic growth from 2002 to 2023, within the framework of the Tourism-Led Growth Hypothesis. The study used the Pearson correlation coefficient and Johansen's cointegration test to calculate the intensity of tourism's impact on economic growth, and qualitative inductive content analysis to analyze the policies of Türkiye's government in the tourism sector. The findings show that tourism had a very strong positive effect on Türkiye's economic growth during this period. The government implemented strategies to prioritize the tourism industry, including: protecting and restoring cultural and natural heritage, providing necessary infrastructure for tourism, implementing active and multilateral policies to attract foreign tourists, placing the development and prosperity of the domestic tourism sector as an important priority in five-year development plans, diversifying the tourism market composition to further develop the industry. The findings of the research show that during the years 2002-2023, there is a relationship between economic growth and tourists, and with the increase in tourism income, economic growth and GDP increase, and the government's strategic focus on promoting and advancing the tourism sector during the 2002-2023 period.

Development is a strategy of moving towards favorable conditions of social life and a multi-dimensional process including simultaneous and coordinated material and spiritual development, which was proposed in some Persian Gulf countries from the middle of the 20th century. Among these countries, the United Arab Emirates has also been able to travel the path of growth and development in economic, social and human fields at a fast pace. The main issue of the present research is how the government has influenced the development pattern and process in this country? The UAE government has been able to achieve superior economic and human development indicators by using the tools and policies of the development-oriented government and become one of the effective global powers. The following study, by examining the development process in the United Arab Emirates in a descriptive-analytical way and emphasizing Adrian Leftwich's point of view, concludes that the development-oriented government elites in the United Arab Emirates have been able to act independently and create a bureaucracy. Efficiently in the environment of the weak civil society in which they were located, they provide the conditions for economic growth and development in the domestic and international arena and achieve a significant level of economic and human development with the development of infrastructure.

A UN panel of experts has claimed that the Ansar Allah group has now become a very powerful regional organization with the ability to influence the flow of international trade. Since 2014, when the Houthis took control of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, and most of the northern regions of the country, they have faced attacks from the Saudi-led coalition forces. However, more than 7 years of war have not only not destroyed them, but have also made them stronger, and Saudi Arabia has been forced to declare a ceasefire with them, which has lasted for more than 2 years. After the Al-Aqsa Storm in late October 2023, in completing the chain of the resistance axis, Ansar Allah launched a large-scale military operation in the Red Sea and extended its attacks to the occupied territories. It currently plans to create a balance in the war by conducting naval operations against the blockade of Gaza by the Israeli army and preventing commercial ships from passing to this regime and the naval blockade...