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Case Analysis 23 January, 2025

The Desirable Threat: An Analysis of the Evolution of Iran’s Securitized Image

Mostafa Pakdel Majd

Foreign Policy Advisor and a Political Analyst based in Tehran. A graduate of East Asian Studies from the Iranian Diplomatic Academy, School of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he specializes in the geopolitical implications of Sino-American strategic competition and China's foreign policy toward the Middle East.

Abstract

acrobat Icon Prolonged Western economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran throughout its decades-long nuclear dispute have profoundly reconstructed Iran’s international image, subjecting it to a process of securitization. Yet the rise of a new reformist government in Tehran has rekindled debates among various political factions regarding the potential for the resumption of Iran’s diplomatic engagement with Western powers and the possibility of a sustainable peaceful resolution to the ongoing nuclear dispute. This paper examines the motivations behind the continued securitization of Iran and the maintenance of its disintegrated position within the global economy following the formation of the new administration in Tehran. It argues that the political costs associated with the de-securitization of Iran’s image have increased over time. Saudi Arabia and Israel, Iran’s primary regional rivals, view the existing securitized construct of Iran as conducive to their strategic interests. Likewise, the United States views the maintenance of this securitized image as an instrument to reshape the Middle East security architecture in alignment with its geostrategic priorities.