The role and evaluation of the eastern borders on the development and national security of Iran

Dissertation for Master's Degree

Department of Political Geography

Abstract:

Iran's foreign policy in the last three centuries was based on the country's western borders, but practically this country has suffered significant injuries from its eastern borders, especially after the division of the subcontinent into three independent countries in 1947 and the occurrence of border disputes between India and Pakistan on the one hand and Pakistan and Afghanistan on the other, as well as the occurrence After the communist coup in Afghanistan in 1979, Iran has always faced security problems in its eastern borders. The negative effects caused by tensions and instabilities among eastern countries have always affected Iran and have turned security concerns in the east into one of Iran's main problems. Because the eastern borders of Iran, which are very long, are grappling with issues such as drug trafficking, water geopolitics, the location of the gas peace pipeline, ethnic and religious issues, and the presence of foreign countries. Iran borders Afghanistan and Pakistan from the east. Countries that, due to long periods of tension and instability, play a large role in creating insecurity in their neighboring regions, including Iran. Therefore, this article has tried to criticize the roots of insecurity in the eastern borders of Iran, because the security of the eastern borders has had a significant impact on the geopolitics of Iran. Border security is a strong support for security with its various dimensions inside the country, and any insecurity in the border can disrupt the economic, cultural, political, social and military policies inside the country. Keywords: internal security - geopolitics - eastern borders - Afghanistan-Pakistan. Arid lands and in the category of Ponds [1], Iran is considered one of the very large countries. The great size increases the possibility of becoming a trans-regional and global power, besides it plays a role in defense matters, and usually the larger the country is, the more mineral and natural resources it has, and the country of Iran has a very high strategic position in terms of its strategic location, having rich oil and gas mines and being located across the northern Persian Gulf Strait, and being located between the northern countries and the Persian Gulf region and between the continents of Asia and Europe, and because it is the safest and shortest route to connect between regions, and the borders of the country are of particular importance. Iran shares land and water borders with 15 independent countries. The length of Iran's borders is over 8,731 square kilometers, and about 6,031 kilometers of the border are rivers, marshes and confluences, forests, steppes, deserts, foothills, and mountains, which are considered land borders, and the length of Iran's sea borders on the three coasts of the Persian Gulf, the Oman Sea, and the Mazandaran Sea is also 2,700 kilometers. Iran's eastern borders, which are very long, are struggling with issues such as drugs, water geopolitics, ethnic and religious issues, and the presence of foreign countries. Iran borders Afghanistan and Pakistan from the east. Countries that, due to long periods of tension and instability, have played a large role in creating insecurity in their neighboring regions, including Iran.

According to the geopolitical and strategic situation of the east of the country and considering the existing potential facilities (natural and manpower), the four first-class centers, which are currently the most active centers in the east of the country, should be given more and more comprehensive attention. The development of these centers with the goals of national security and defense and transnational interests and regional development should be expanded even more. These centers, which are called first-class centers of the East, are from south to north (Chabahar, Zahedan, Birjand, Mashhad). More attention should be paid to ensure the security of the eastern borders. Because the strategic location and rich resources are the most important geopolitical elements of Iran, and this has so far reflected on the regional and global strategies of the great powers. Chapter 1: Overview of the research The sovereign territory of a government and in accordance with specific rules against human movement, the transfer of goods, the dissemination of ideas, create obstacles or at least limit it (Mirhayder, 1375, 114), of course, since the effective control of borders requires huge and heavy costs, control systems according to the type of border, specially organized forces.

Chapter 1

Generalities of the research

1-1-Problem statement:

Political border refers to a spatial phenomenon that reflects the territory of a state's sovereignty and according to specific rules against human movement, the transfer of goods, the dissemination of ideas creates an obstacle or at least limits it (Mirhaider, 1375, 114) Of course, since control Effective borders require huge and heavy costs, control systems according to the type of border, special organized border forces, effective understanding and cooperation of neighboring governments and the support of international official organizations. Among the countries of the world, only a few governments such as the former Soviet Union, Israel, Tito's Yugoslavia, Cuba and several European and North American governments have been able to create an effective management system for managing their borders, and many other countries, including Iran, are responsible for preparing and regulating a suitable and efficient mechanism for managing the country's borders. They didn't come (Kirimipour, 2019, 221). Iran is facing many security challenges in its surrounding environment, which are constantly reproduced due to regional developments and trends. From a regional point of view, the Islamic Republic of Iran is located in an area where there are no stable and agreed security arrangements. Despite the progress of regional security systems around the world, especially after the end of the Cold War and in the context of globalization developments, Iran's peripheral region still lacks institutionalized security arrangements. Terrorism, extremism, ethnic-religious tensions, organized crimes, weak governments and interventions of extra-regional powers are among the major security challenges and obstacles that Iran faces in its surroundings. (Asgari, 1380, 295). After the overthrow of the Taliban by the American forces, these forces were present in different areas of Afghanistan and started building numerous bases by the United States and NATO, which is considered a threat to Iran and puts Iran in the crosshairs of the enemies of this country's national interests. With these descriptions, Iran's eastern neighbors, Afghanistan and Pakistan, have made threats to Iran's national interests due to security problems and have increased the expenses of the Islamic Republic regarding border control. In addition to the political instability in Afghanistan, which has created the problem of Afghan refugees, drug trafficking and other social problems for Iran, the activities of the extremist movement of the Taliban have increased in Pakistan and led to confrontation and conflict with the army of that country. As a result, with the expansion of the influence and activity of extremist currents such as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in the region on the one hand and the presence of the US military under the pretext of countering terrorism along the eastern borders of Iran on the other hand, the country has been exposed to increasing security threats. So that Iran's strategic and geopolitical position and the natural structure of Iran's space have different effects on the interaction of people and social groups. Dealing with threats from the eastern borders is an important issue in the country's geopolitics. Especially in the current situation, with the developments that have happened in the countries located in the east of our country and Central Asia, and all the developments that will happen in Asia, with the invasion of Wahhabism in the eastern countries and secular pan-Turkism in Central Asia, the east and the northeast of the country, the country has enjoyed special security sensitivities. Our national and transnational security requires us to pay more attention to the east of the country and its general development and security.

1-2- Importance and necessity of research:

Iran's extensive land borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan, together with the water border that we have with Pakistan, form a vast area, the control and security of which is an important and difficult task. They organize a strong border, but unfortunately, this custom has been broken on the border between Iran and the two countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Moreover, these two countries do not have a strong border security base, and due to their inability to control their borders, our security and border agents are not only busy with securing our own borders, but they also have to control the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan (Capital newspaper dated 4/30/1389). Also, the politicization of ethnic-religious identities, which, on the one hand, has become a tool of pressure for some powers, especially the United States of America, due to the globalization of communication and information technology, and on the other hand, the release of shaky ethnic faults after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Ethnic ideas have different nature. The politicization of identities can be a serious threat to the territorial integrity and territorial sovereignty of multi-ethnic countries. The provinces adjacent to the eastern borders of the Islamic Republic of Iran are exactly overlooking the Golden Triangle (the Golden Triangle is a desert area that is far from the reach of the governments of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. This area is known as the Golden Triangle because it is the crossing point for drugs, heroin production, and military weapons).