The International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah) has issued the 10th issue of its biannual Journal for Iranian Studies (JIS). The first study entitled “Local Consultative Councils and the Challenges of Decentralization in Iran,” discusses the environment and the frameworks of local councils in Iran; the development of local councils and the trend towards decentralization; the structure and formation of local councils; local decision-making mechanisms; and the problems and challenges facing decentralization. The second study entitled, “The Ideology of the IRGC: Roles, Orientations and Transformations in Its Ideological Structure,” reviews the ideological foundations that contributed to the Revolutionary Guards’ formation and deconstructs the ideological components and functions of this organization including its strategies and reactions. This is of particular interest since most studies analyze the IRGC through its roles, effectiveness, and relations with the political system and the sovereign and economic institutions inside the Iranian state. The third study entitled, “The Cultural and Development Dimensions of Iranian Citizenship” explores the impact of the cultural and development dimensions and their implications on the national state in Iran. In addition, the fourth study entitled “The Factors of Iran’s Declining Soft Power in the Arab Region” addresses the general dimensions of the security structures designed by the security decision-maker in Iran. These structures link the concepts of securitization and the defense of shrines. This study reveals how the defense of Iran’s shrines forms an important part of Iranian national security policy. The fifth study is entitled “The Factors of the Decline of Iranian Soft Power in the Arab Region.” It raises several questions about the factors which have led to the decline of Iranian soft power, and the implications of the events of the so-called Arab Spring on Iran’s status in the Arab region, the indicators of this decline, and the implications in terms of the extent of Iran’s influence in the Arab world. The sixth study is entitled “Indian-Iranian Relations in Light of US Sanctions: Challenges and Future Prospects.” It deals with the developments of the relationship between the two countries, and the complexities and fluctuations that are involved, and the future outcomes of this complex relationship.
JIS is a peer-reviewed biannual journal issued by the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah) in Arabic, English and Persian. JIS specializes in providing political, strategic, economic, cultural and social analysis on Iranian affairs. Committed to scientific and objective criteria, it provides an outlook of Iran at international and regional levels. It is available in PDF format at Rasanah’s website. To subscribe to JIS, contact us at the following email: [email protected]
