The Grand Strategy of Militant Clients
Iran’s Way of War
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6121529 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Afshon Ostovar (Russian State Agrarian Correspondence University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 159-188 |
| Publication date | 2019-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Security Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0963-6412 • E-ISSN: 1556-1852 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09636412.2018.1508862 |
| OpenAlex | W2896275179 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 21 |
This article argues that militant clients should be understood as a pillar of Iran's grand strategy and an extension of its military power. The article examines why Iran has relied on militant clients since the 1979 revolution and the benefits and costs of its client approach. In evaluating these issues, it identifies five main areas where Iran has gained from its client strategy: 1) maintaining independence from the West; 2) successfully exporting its religio-political worldview; 3) extending its military reach and power; 4) reducing political costs of its foreign activities; and 5) establishing needed regional allies. It further identifies five main dangers that Iran faces by continuing its strategic behavior: 1) increased pressure from the United States and a broader US military regional footprint; 2) more unified regional adversaries; 3) the risk of unintended escalation with the United States and regional adversarial states; and 4) enduring regional instability and insecurity
Development economics · Economics · Foreign policy · Great power · Independence (probability theory) · Militant · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Power (physics) · Sociology · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
Discourse, Language, and Grand Strategy
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Strategy, Secrecy, and External Support for Insurgent Groups
Syria
Iran-Hezbollah Alliance Reconsidered
Armies of Arabia
Strings attached
Go arm me
The US policy of containing Iran – from Obama to Trump 2009–2018
Force structure and counterinsurgency outcome
The ruling ideology or shared identity? The underlying causes of Iran’s influence in Iraq
Re-examining the State/Non-State Binary in the Study of (Civil) War
Towards a non-Western model of security assistance
Defensa Sagrada y reivindicación digital de los mártires en Irán
Collision Course
The Political Power of Proxies
Why rebels rely on terrorists
Iranian proxies in the Syrian conflict
Integration of Iran-backed armed groups into the Iraqi and Syrian armed forces
Iran's proxy war paradox
Whose proxy war? The competition among Iranian foreign policy elites in Iraq
| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2019 - 2026 (8) |
| Highly cited | No |