Palwasha
Using asymmetric power capabilities is a fashion in which Iran projects its power in the Middle Eastern region in the eyes of the world. Since Islamic Revolution of 1979, with the creation of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force (IRGC-QF), the conventional and unconventional warfare is dealt by and under the auspices of this special revolutionary force. Tehran basically practices asymmetric power as a ”peripheral strategy” in pursuit of forward defense by training and supporting non-state actors in its peripheral countries. The biggest rival of Iran is the United States in the region, countering Iran with its allies mainly Saudi Arabia and Israel in the Middle East. In Iran’s perspective, it adopts such strategy intending and seeking defense of its homeland from its adversaries. It is even resorting to force as according to ‘former IRGC commander Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi’ describes as an “offensive strategy with devastating effects.” The primacy of this strategy is based on ‘counter invasion of U.S. and allies’. Although, Iran reiterated that U.S.’ intention of invasion does not exist anymore and its entanglement in Iraq was enough yet behind the curtains it is preparing its armed forces altogether ready to counter U.S. invasion in the region not directly but through using proxies just as U.S.’ ally KSA uses against Iran to challenge its regional rival. Also, U.S.’ military bases are proof of U.S. involvement and keeping an eye on Iran’s activities. Therefore, Iran would seek to protect key targets and complicate an adversary’s efforts by using asymmetric means to threaten or strike its forces and interests Iran’s strategic goals are more than acquiring territory in the region, rather it prioritizes to seek prestige, influence and status among Middle Eastern states and project its power through its proxy allies. Iran has been countering U.S. influence while assisting its proxies by exporting arms and munitions to Hezbollah, Venezuela, various North African nations. International Institute of Strategic Studies has published a report last year in July 2019 titled, Iran’s Networks of Influence in the Middle East which clearly describes Iran’s strategic interests and intentions, triumph in creating such militias that are furthering Iran’s interests in Middle East. This strategic report published by II S gives first hand proof of Iran’s establishment, creation, operating non-state actors in the peripheries by making use of asymmetric power capability. This successful series of non-state actors give Tehran an upper hand in projecting power influence in the region and thus, it got strategic advantage over its adversaries in the region. Iran is using its lower conflict power capability by assisting, aiding and training Hezbollah in Lebanon, Kataib Hizballah (Shiitte militia) in Iraq, Hamas in Palestine, Liwa al-Baqir in Syria, Al-Ashtar Brigades in Bahrain, Houthi faction in Yemen and Liwa Fereydoun in Afghanistan. The report said, while the U.S. and its allies are operating with conventional military forces, Iran’s strength lies in its influence within non-state militias and insurgent groups in several nations. However, the conventional balance is still in favor of the U.S. certainly the mightiest and advanced in the world, yet Tehran’s capability in the so-called “gray zone” has tilted the balance of effective force towards Tehran.
Before 2001, Iran’s overall defense expenditure outlook was approximately $6.6billion however, with U.S.’ intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan hastened the military capacity, personnel and doubled the defense budget i.e., 3% of its GDP, according to IISS report. In mere 2018, Iran’s defense budget was $13 billion yet Iran lags far behind its adversaries in Middle East as KSA’s spent $70 billion, Israel $18.5 billion and U.S. has been unmatchable spent $700 billion was as per the report published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute SIPRI. Iran has been paying the cost not in terms of billions of dollars in this regional intervention but also lost millions of lives even facing harsh international pressure and negative sanctions. Tehran’s investment in its asymmetric network “has consistently delivered Iran advantage without the cost or risk of direct confrontation with adversaries and allows the nation to launch attacks on enemies with some level of deniability.”
In Iraq, besides Iranian backed Shittu militants, Hezbollah also receives political, financial and military support from Iran to counter U.S. intervention as to follow its counter invasion strategy and increasing its sphere of influence in the region.
In Syria, Hezbollah got more than $200 million just during Syrian Civil War for preserving Bashar-al-Assad regime and against U.S. Hanin Gadder, “a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told The National that the social servicing of Hezbollah decreased in the past 6 years” due to increase covers Hezbollah’s “mission in recruiting, training, advancing its weaponry and leading the Shi’a Militias mainly in Syria.”
Iran backs Houthis in Yemen with all its currency notes and hard power capable instruments. In Yemen, besides sending ballistic missiles to the Houthis, Ms Mandalker, former prosecutor at the department of Justice said Quds printed “counterfeit Yemeni bank notes, potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars, to support Iran’s destabilizing activities”. Iran provides Yemeni Houthi faction not only with ballistic missiles but also with intelligence and advisory services as well. It was confessed publicly by the Iranian Chief of Staff last year who denied to deliver missiles in Yemen War. ‘Iranian Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammed Bagheri, admitted providing this kind of support to Houthis, in an interview with Phoenix Chinese TV Channel.’ Likewise, in Qatar, Iranian backed and built militants Al-Ashtar brigades are serving Iran’s interests, can attack Saudi Arabia and keeping an eye over it.
Lastly, In Afghanistan, Iran historically did not have good relations with Taliban and supported against Taliban regime in late 1990s Northern alliance and non-Pashtun Afghan population, Uzbeks, Tajik and Hazara community in Central Afghanistan. Taliban and Tehran did not have amicable relations in the past during Taliban regime because Taliban were backed by, supported, recruited and trained by Saudi government, arch rival of Iran since 1979. In 2014, Liwa Fatemiyoun, Afghan shi’tte militia was created by Iran in the pretext of protecting and securing religious place in Iraq and Syria. This militia comprised of Afghan refugees in Iran and was created under the direct supervision of former Commander Major General Qasim Solaimani. There have been confirmed reports of Tehran dispatching young Hazaras to fight on behalf of the Assad regime in Syria as part of the Fatemiyoun Division, motivated by promises of money and permanent residency in Iran.
An Afghan political analyst named Qadir Kamel told the daily Al Ain that the Liwa Fatemiyoun militia represents a “great threat to the security of Afghanistan”. Currently, the situation is taking a shift as Iran is now using its soft power by investing in developmental projects in Afghanistan, infrastructure roads etc. A new splinter faction, Hezb-e Walayat-e Islami (Party of Islamic Guardianship) from Taliban group stands against peace deal with United States. After the elimination of Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF), in January, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of undermining the Afghan peace process by using militant groups in the country, and also asked the Taliban to disengage from Tehran.
