Territorial cohesion and geostrategic perception of Iran to Iraq

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Alireza Mehraby ¹
• Soroush Farshchin ²
• Mohammadreza Joufar ²

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Political Geography, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

² PhD student of Political Geography, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/pg.2023.79338.1177

Abstract

Although in Western studies, the role and concept of the border are becoming an abstract concept, the way of foreign governance still brings potential and actual tensions in many regions of the world in the countries on both sides of the border. This research provides a better picture of the main question of this article which is Iran's geostrategic understanding of Iraq. we do that by examining identity, cultural, religious, economic, etc. components. To answer the question raised in the research, a descriptive-analytical method has been used. In this research, the variables of language and ethnicity, religion, political-economic-military organization, territorial advantage, ethnic symbols, and the reason for existence and territorial cohesion have been analyzed and evaluated. In examining the situation of making political decisions based on Iran's geostrategy towards Iraq, three factors have a neutral or converging situation for Iran, while the situation is divergent in only one component, on the other hand, Iraq is divergent in three and neutral in one component, under these conditions, paying attention to the only divergent factor in two countries, which is language, ethnicity, and religion, should be a serious concern of both countries, a factor that is not so worrying for Iran in a normal situation, but If the independence of these minorities happened in Iraq, it can also limit Iran's national security.

Keywords

• Territorial Cohesion
• Geostrategic Understanding
• State Idea

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