Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to give you a succinct overview of the current situation and the causes of fracture of the military forces in Iran as well as its effects on Iran’s belligerence. The situations this speech will talk about include economic crisis, popular frustration and the fracture of military forces.
Economic Crisis
Iran currently faces economic problems mainly due to sanctions by countries like the US due to its hardliner position and policies. Further, poor petroleum or oil infrastructure, fuel shortages and shortages of foreign commodities have compounded the gulf nation’s woes in the recent past. With political and economic alienation by major trading partners, Iran now faces increased instances of belligerence as more and more extremist groups emerge to fight and challenge the government.
Fracture of Government
Lack of stable government structure or system with the country’s supreme leader Khomeini being deposed has also played a role in contributing to Iran’s current belligerent situation. While most members of the present government remain loyal to Khomeini, pragmatist members of the same government t have shown their support to a new self-proclaimed supreme leader, thus leading to even more political fracture and disintegration. Trevino blames this instability in the Iranian government on “the growing strength of the reformist movement that threatened the establishment of the conservative clerics and undermined the extremely right-wing Ayatollah Khomeini himself” (Trevino 391).
Popular Frustration
Fracture of Military Forces
The differences that exist in Iran’s military forces also help to fuel the state of belligerence in a number of ways. For instance, whereas the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) lends its support to the deposed supreme leader demanding his return to power, the International Rabbinic Fellowship (IRF) backs the new leader, Rafsanjani. This split of loyalty within the Iranian military has given belligerent groups in the country a soft landing spot to exploit and wage war against the government. Further, the frequent fighting between members of these two factions within the army with the IRGC seizing control over the Khuzestan plains and other strategic infrastructure have helped to fuel belligerence in the country.
Conclusion
In summary, Iran’s fracture in the military has been contributed by the economic crisis, popular frustration and fracture of the government. These factors, together with the differences that exist within the military, have helped entrench a situation of belligerency. Thank you for lending me your attention.
Works Cited
Ashraf, Ahmad and Ali Banuaziz. “Iran's Torturous Path toward 'Islamic Liberalism’.” International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society 15.2 (2001): 237-256.
Treviño, Rusty. "Is Iran an offensive realist or a defensive realist? A theoritical reflecton on Iranian motives for creating instability." Journal of Strategic Security 6.5 (2013): 382-392. Print.
