The US Maximum Pressure Policy and Iran's Anti-containment Strategy

Document Type : مقالات علمی -پژوهشی

Authors

• golmohammadi vali ¹
• Amir Hossein Vazirian ²

¹ Assistant Professor of International Relations, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

² PhD in Political Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/pg.2021.69420.1031

Abstract

Amidst the systematic shift in a global context and decline in the U.S hegemony in particular, the Middle East is in a transition from a post-Cold War American order to some kind of multilateral (dis)order, where has left more room for regional powers outmaneuvering in the changing regional geopolitics. In this context, Iran as a revolutionary and revisionist state has sought to challenge the liberal international order and maximize its regional influence by adopting an asymmetric strategy. In contrast, the U.S along with its regional allies has pursued the policy of maximum pressure in order to change the regional balance of power against Iran. However, the US containment strategy has not been able to undermine Iran's active regional role playing. The main question is what strategy has Iran used to maintain its position and power in the face of maximum pressure from the United States and its regional allies, and to have increasing influence? The hypothesis of this paper is that in the face of maximum pressure from the United States, the Islamic Republic of Iran has chosen the policy of Anti-containment as its main strategy. The policy, implemented through "asymmetric deterrence", has been implemented in three forms: the use of proxy groups, missile capability enhancement and naval deterrence. It is necessary to mention that this research will examine the research hypothesis in the form of descriptive-analytical method

Keywords

• Maximum Pressure
• Resistance
• Asymmetric Deterrence
• USA
• Iran

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