According to the cultural reporter Tasnim News Agencythe world after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which initially promised a unipolar order led by the United States, has now found a range far beyond those predictions in the complexity and multifaceted nature of power equations. The hegemonic singularity of America has given way to a vortex of regional and global crises; Crises in which emerging powers and regional strategic players redefine their position and role, relying on indigenous doctrines and a deep understanding of geopolitical realities. In this changing perspective, Iran, relying on more than three decades of experience of the leadership of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, may God have mercy on him, not only has not drowned in this whirlpool of crises, but by adopting innovative approaches, it has become one of the key players in determining the fate of regional and global equations. This is a narrative of “Iran Reconstruction Project”; A project that has been able to strengthen its pillars of stability and survival in the midst of successive crises and tell the story of “regeneration of power” in the era of challenges.
The fundamental question is how a country with a specific socio-political structure, under the unprecedented pressure of international sanctions and in a region that has always been the scene of great power struggles, has been able to rise from a position of passivity and weakness to an influential position in the international system? The answer to this question should be sought in the “doctrine of stability and survival”; A strategy that goes beyond a purely defensive approach, has become an active and productive mechanism for “creating, maintaining and deepening stability in various dimensions”. This doctrine, in fundamental opposition to the logic of “integration-oriented development in the world order” that the West was trying to impose on the world, is based on the foundations that need to be understood to overcome the common stereotypes of “hostility” and “conspiracy illusion”; Stereotypes that have fed superficial analyzes of Iran for years.
1. Institutionalization and stabilization of structures: linking efficiency, legitimacy and social mobilization
“Institutionalization and stabilization of structures” is considered the first and most vital key pillar in Iran’s stability and survival project. This process is a complex and multi-layered attempt to link “operational efficiency” with “political and social popularity” as well as “popular mobilization capacity”. During the leadership of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, we have witnessed a continuous and purposeful effort to strengthen the foundations of legitimacy and internal strength of the system against all-round internal and external pressures. This effort cannot be analyzed only in the framework of “hard power”, but it has included the design and implementation of new mechanisms for managing social gaps, persuading public opinion, redefining national identity in the context of modern challenges, and creating capacities for mass mobilization towards national goals. This aspect of Iran’s reconstruction project means the creation of a “powerful and flexible government”; A government that can, while maintaining its sovereign authority, also has the capacity to attract various forces, social and ideological capitals. This is an attempt to link “revolutionary identity” with “necessities of national survival”; This has become an unsolvable challenge in many countries in transition. (For example, the development of popular and paramilitary structures in the geography of regional resistance is a reflection of this approach of authoritarian institutionalization based on popular capacities.)
2. Resistance economy: resilience, independence and local value creation
“Strengthening local economy and reducing structural dependence on oil revenues” has been the most key link in the chain of “stability and survival” of Iran in the era of crisis. Relying solely on oil revenues made Iran extremely vulnerable to deadly fluctuations in global energy markets and political pressures based on sanctions. A deep understanding of this fundamental vulnerability led the leadership to formulate and implement the “Resistance Economy” strategy; A strategy whose goal is to create maximum resilience against external shocks, strategic focus on domestic capacities, and sustainable development of knowledge-based and value-creating industries. This approach is fundamentally opposed to the “integration-oriented development” model, because it considers economic security and independence as a prerequisite for any sustainable development and national authority. (According to official reports, the share of non-oil products in Iran’s GDP has been increasing in recent years and has reached about 45%, which indicates the relative success of this strategy in reducing reliance on oil.) Without achieving economic independence and improving its resilience, Iran’s reconstruction project will remain a fragile project and always under threat.
3. Diplomacy and regional power: redefining strategic depth in the new world order
“Active transition from the western-oriented unipolar order” and “intelligent management of regional security and political crises” are two sides of the same coin in Iran’s regional macro-strategy. In a world where the United States and its allies sought to redesign their interests by designing the West Asian security order, Iran presented itself as a central and decisive player by adopting a “realistic reading” of international developments. The active and influential presence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and other parts of the region has been part of a “big geopolitical plan” to create “regional strategic stability” and redefine Iran’s “strategic depth”. This approach, by creating a balance of power in the region, has prevented the full realization of the goals of the hegemonic powers and has practically brought the security order of West Asia to a level of “unwanted multilateralism”. (For example, the continuous support of regional resistance groups in Palestine and Lebanon is a clear example of Iran’s policy of deterrence and strategic deepening.) In this context, “identity politics” that emphasizes revolutionary values ​​and resistance to Western hegemony, has become a powerful tool for mobilizing regional forces and confronting colonial plans.
Finally, the “Iran Reconstruction Project” under the leadership of Ayatollah Khamenei, despite all the challenges and ups and downs, and taking into account internal criticisms, has been able to strengthen its pillars of stability and survival in the heart of the most complex contemporary geopolitical relations. This project presents a unique model of a “flexible authoritarian system” that has managed to link political and identity decolonization with hard and soft power tools and build a strategic bridge between “revolutionary identity” and “necessities of national survival”. Analyzing the deep layers of this project requires going through superficial analyzes and bravely confronting the complex realities of power in the age of crisis; An era in which Iran has been able to establish a new narrative of its power, not based on imported models, but on indigenous and resistance foundations.
Notes from: Zainab Safai
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