New Geopolitics Research

New Geopolitics Research

Geopolitical Analysis of the 360th Power Mission of the Strategic Naval Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Corresponding author; Associate Professor of Political Geography, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
2 PhD Student in Political Geography, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
3 PhD Student in Political Geography, Department of Geography, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
In geopolitical analyses and for the purpose of explaining power competition in various fields, we face with three main components: the arena of competition or the playing field, actors and policies or the rules of the game. Seas and oceans, as unique sources of power, have been one of the most important arenas of geopolitical competition between governments and countries throughout history. In fact, the presence in the seas and the dominance of marine resources have been the most important factors of hegemonic control in global geopolitical systems since the 12th century. The 360th Fleet of the Strategic Naval Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, consisting of a fully Iranian-made destroyer Dena and the Makran frigate, completely circumnavigated the globe in 1401, covering a distance of 65,000 kilometers. This research, using a descriptive-analytical method, seeks to examine and explain the geopolitical aspects of this major maritime event. The research findings show that this mission has had positive effects for the Islamic Republic of Iran, and in particular the Strategic Naval Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, both domestically and regionally and globally. The evaluation of the knowledge, expertise, and capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy in a trans-regional mission, the assessment of the equipment and infrastructure of the national production of the Navy in extremely difficult maritime conditions, the first authoritative presence in the areas of influence and geopolitical territories of global powers, the implementation of the Navy's capacity in developing diplomacy and interacting with countries along the way, and the appraisal of the feasibility of the presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy in new maritime geopolitical territories (Antarctica, etc.) in the near future are among the most important results of this mission that can be considered from the perspective of geopolitical competition.
Keywords

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