Mohammad Saied Alsayyad
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Iranian regime has not
been shy about announcing its founding principle of “exporting the
Revolution,” and supporting Shiite “liberation” movements – through
armament, logistical support, and propaganda, as well as the creation of
loyal militias in the region. The Iranian regime has massively altered the
concept of Iranian national security, seeking to exploit the chaotic situation
in the region in the wake of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and the Arab
Spring in the region. Iran has leapt to take advantage of regional events,
considering this is a decisive opportunity to change the demographic
composition of the Arab region in order to intensify and embed its own
regional presence and influence in the medium and long term, more
particularly since the unstable security and economic conditions in the
region make it difficult for other powers to focus on confronting the regime.
This state intervention in the form of what might be termed demographic
wars mean that the impact of the regime’s actions in changing conditions
on the ground across the region is more serious than its use of hard, military
power alone. The regime has already begun establishing new supportive
militias and loyalist groups, who are then utilized for political, economic
and sectarian purposes, imposing pressure that serves the geographical
and doctrinal objectives which the Islamic Republic claims are essential
for its national security.
