نشریه سیاست پژوهی ایرانی
سال یازدهم شماره 3 (پیاپی 41، پاییز 1403)

Using a descriptive-analytical method and employing the theory of international regimes, this study addresses the question: how have international sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran affected shifts in power dynamics in West Asia? The findings indicate that international sanctions have brought substantial changes to Iran’s military, economic, and diplomatic policies in the region, intensifying regional rivalries and tensions. Although these sanctions have negatively impacted Iran’s economy, they have not fully achieved the West’s objectives against the country and have, instead, contributed to increased geopolitical tensions in the region. On the other hand, the Islamic Republic of Iran has mitigated these pressures through diplomatic tools, informal networks, and alternative pathways, maintaining its influence in the region. Furthermore, despite the economic challenges imposed by the sanctions, Iran has bolstered its military power and continued its support for the "Axis of Resistance" in countries like Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, asserting a pivotal role in regional equations and remaining a key player in West Asia.

The objective of this study was to examine the cultural factors countering ISIS's influence on the regional relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This research is classified as applied in terms of its purpose, descriptive in nature, and exploratory mixed-method in terms of its variables. The statistical sample comprised experts and officials responsible for foreign relations, takfiri groups, and ISIS, who were active in policymaking and research centers in 2022. In the quantitative section, 335 participants were randomly selected through stratified sampling from among active members in the fields of foreign relations and regional terrorism. The qualitative findings were analyzed using thematic analysis with MAXQDA 10 software, while the quantitative section was analyzed using structural equation modeling via LISREL software. The quantitative findings confirmed all the qualitative components based on the structural equation model. Cultural factors, with a coefficient of 0.210, were found to significantly impact ISIS's influence on the regional relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In the second phase of the Islamic Revolution, the nature, diversity, complexity, sources, and drivers of threats have undergone significant changes. Israeli lobbies in the United States, particularly AIPAC, have prioritized targeting various economic, security, political, social, cultural, and technological domains, aiming to alter behavioral patterns and transform the nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran through techniques of hybrid operations, narrative warfare, and cognitive warfare. Hybrid threats fall under the umbrella of national security threats, aiming to challenge the survival and stability of the system. Hybrid warfare resembles a multi-variable equation that must be addressed at various governance levels. This study explores the influential elements of hybrid warfare, as well as AIPAC's narrative and hybrid methods against the Islamic Republic of Iran, aiming to persuade and manipulate U.S. Congress members and White House officials to impose multi-layered threats against Iran. Using a descriptive-explanatory research method, the findings reveal that AIPAC utilizes fabricated news and narratives to obstruct Iran’s rapprochement with neighboring countries, its reconciliation with the European Union, and its membership in international forums. Additionally, through establishing think tanks, employing senior managers of prominent American research institutions, and supporting aligned researchers as witnesses in Congressional hearings, the lobby leverages expert networks to maximize pressure on Iran. Consequently, systematic and preemptive management of hybrid aggression by lobbies opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran, particularly Israeli lobbies such as AIPAC, requires the development of indigenous models and transformations in tools and methods of threat management.

The use of sports and sports diplomacy has been well-documented in the history of global diplomatic practices. In recent years, sports have served as a diplomatic tool, with sports diplomacy regarded as one of the most pivotal methods for fostering soft power. Nations have employed such strategies to mitigate tensions in various social, political, economic, and cultural domains with other actors. Over the past few decades, the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States has faced numerous challenges. The participation of Iran's national teams, particularly the volleyball team, in international events such as the Volleyball World League and the Olympic Games has created opportunities to enhance Iran's standing and even reduce tensions with its long-standing adversary, the United States. This raises the question: how does the soft power of sports diplomacy influence Iran-U.S. relations? This study hypothesizes that the soft power generated by sports diplomacy leads to a relative improvement in cultural and sports relations between Iran and the United States. Employing a descriptive-analytical method, the findings reveal that sports, even amid heightened tensions between the two nations, have maintained minimal levels of interaction and provided a platform for implicit political objectives for both Iran and the United States. While sports diplomacy has the potential to improve Iran-U.S. relations, it faces distinct limitations due to the entrenched mistrust between Washington and Tehran. At critical junctures and with minimal costs, sports have contributed to temporary improvements in Iran-U.S. relations. It is recommended that greater emphasis be placed on hosting major international volleyball events, which can project a different image of the Islamic Republic of Iran by leveraging the soft power of sports. Additionally, targeted investment in sports diplomacy, particularly volleyball, should be pursued to neutralize anti-Iranian propaganda and combat media-driven Iranophobia.

Following the collapse of the bipolar system, many concepts in international relations underwent significant shifts in meaning. Among these, the concept of security experienced a transformation, shifting from a unidimensional military-focused approach to a multidimensional one. This transformation has influenced the foreign policies of various powers, including China, in the Middle East. This study seeks to answer the question: how has the evolution of the concept of security impacted China's foreign policy in the Middle East? The hypothesis proposed is that the transition of the concept of security from a unidimensional military perspective to a multidimensional one has led China to focus on various dimensions of security, such as political, economic, military, and cultural factors in the Middle East. To analyze the changes in China's foreign policy in the region, the study examines four key aspects: the role and significance of energy in China's relations with Middle Eastern countries, China's trade exchanges with the region, China's political strategy in the Middle East, and the significance of the Middle East within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The aim of this study is to examine the Yemen crisis from the perspective of the international community with a focus on the United Nations Charter. The research method is descriptive-analytical, and the results indicate that, regardless of the objectives of Saudi Arabia and its allied states in attacking Yemen, and independent of whether the aggression against Yemen was legal under the rule prohibiting the use of force in international relations—which is the cornerstone of the formation of the United Nations—and irrespective of whether the Yemen conflict is classified as international, all parties involved in the Yemen war are bound by the treaties to which they are signatories. Based on this framework, and relying on extensive and legally admissible evidence, it can be concluded that the forces attacking Yemen have repeatedly committed three international crimes: "war crimes", "crimes against humanity", and "genocide." The perpetrators of these crimes must be pursued, tried, and punished according to existing treaties by competent judicial authorities. Furthermore, Yemen’s courts and the courts of the signatory states of the four Geneva Conventions (1949) are considered the most appropriate judicial bodies, given their universal jurisdiction.