Iran Research Articles

Comparative study of social sustainability between Western cities and Iranian historical cities

This study compares the social sustainability models of Western cities with those of historical Islamic cities in Iran, exploring their theoretical foundations and practical implementations. The research investigates whether the principles underlying Iranian Islamic cities align with Western standards of social sustainability, identifying similarities and differences between these models. Using a comparative analysis and an interpretative-historical approach, the study reviews the evolution of sustainable practices in both contexts. Concrete examples from Western urban models and Iranian cities are examined to assess their effectiveness in fostering sustainable communities and promoting sustainable behaviors. The findings highlight significant parallels between Western and Iranian Islamic models, with an 83% overlap, particularly with the new urbanism models of Europe and America, despite distinct approaches rooted in cultural and historical contexts. The study concludes that modern urbanism in the West and the Safavid era cities in Iran represent the most sustainable models within their respective regions.

Analysis of cutaneous leishmaniasis among military personnel in the Islamic Republic of Iran: a spatiotemporal study between 2018 and 2022, trend forecasting based on ARIMA model

BackgroundCutaneous leishmaniasis is one of the few infectious diseases whose global prevalence is on the rise. Iran ranks among the eight most affected countries in the world. Iranian military personnel are often sent to endemic areas for cutaneous leishmaniasis without prior immunity, and they have fewer health facilities in military centers than the general population. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the situation of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iranian military personnel across all units from 2018 to 2022 and predict the disease trend using time series analysis up to the end of 2025.MethodsWe analyzed data from the Iranian Ministry of Health to perform spatiotemporal and descriptive analyses based on patient frequency. Variables examined included age distribution, cutaneous leishmaniasis types (zoonotic or anthroponotic), month of healthcare facility visits, and lesion locations. This study employed the ARIMA model (p = 2, d = 0, q = 1)(P = 3, D = 0, Q = 0), for time series analysis and forecasting the disease trend up to 36 months after 2022.ResultsOver five years, 2,894 patients were reported. The Esfahan, Khuzestan, and Ilam provinces had the highest average patient counts, with hot spots primarily found in central, south, southwestern, and western Iran. Although the total number of patients with zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis was almost equal to anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis, in high-risk provinces such as Esfahan, Khuzestan, and Ilam, the confirmed cases of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis were much more than anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. patient numbers peak in October and November. Demographic analysis revealed that younger patients outnumbered older patients. Lesion locations were frequent on the forelimbs and lower limbs. The time series analysis for 36 months after 2022 indicated the seasonal pattern of the disease and predicted an upward trend after 2022.ConclusionWhile overall cases have declined, provinces such as Esfahan exhibit an upward trend. The expansion of hotspots from the west and southwestern to the center and south of Iran, coupled with an increasing trend in time series analysis, suggests the potential emergence of new foci and a rise in patient numbers in the future. In provinces with high disease prevalence, preventive measures should be prioritized, particularly in Ilam, Khuzestan, and Esfahan.

Availability and affordability of selected medicines in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

There is a standard methodology for measuring and evaluating the availability and affordability of selected medicines in the healthcare system, especially in low- and middle-income countries. To investigate availability, affordability and accessibility of medicines in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2021 and compare the results with those from 2019. This descriptive cross-sectional study investigated the availability and affordability of 60 selected medicines in Islamic Republic of Iran. Availability and affordability were measured using the WHO/Health Action International methodology. The availability rates for originator brands in the public, private and other sectors were 6.4%, 8.6% and 6.8%, respectively. In contrast, availability rates for lowest-priced and most-sold generics were 44.7% and 63.6% in the public sector, 45.4% and 66.4% in the private sector, and 39.6% and 58.6% in other sectors. Only 20.0% of originator brands in the Islamic Republic of Iran were affordable, while 96.6% of the lowest priced and 95.0% of the most sold generics were affordable. Most medicines in the Islamic Republic of Iran were affordable and the pharmaceutical supply chain was acceptable.

Urban Arsen in Iranian Islamic cities as a pattern of urban centers design

Urban Arsen in Iranian Islamic cities as a pattern of urban centers design

The Impact of Iraqi State’s Political Division on Islamic Republic of Iran’s Internal National Security (An Analytical Research from Scenario Planning Perspective)

The Impact of Iraqi State’s Political Division on Islamic Republic of Iran’s Internal National Security (An Analytical Research from Scenario Planning Perspective)

Beyond Orientalism: The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Strategic Preferences Regarding Nuclear Weapons

When studying the issue of nuclear weapons proliferation, Iran is often presented as a rogue state driven by a volatile Islamic belief system. Such accounts present Iran as perpetually seeking nuclear weapons due to its foreign and defense policy, which is conceived by irrational Muslim clerics. This article deconstructs such consistent Orientalist discourses across Western academia, think-tanks, lobbying, and governments concerning the rogue and irrational pursuit of nuclear weapons by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Departing from them, the article moves to peruse a range of views held by some prominent Iranian clerics about nuclear weapons and demonstrates the rationales that bring Iran’s clerics to socially construct external threats, dangers, and other strategic concerns from within the Islamic Republic. In doing so, a new framework for understanding Iran’s strategic preferences—unbridled by the limitations of Orientalist discourse, as well as the biases of secular and state-based realist thinking—is offered.

State obligation and landmines: human rights of the disabled in the Islamic Republic of Iran

ABSTRACT Many individuals in Iran continue to fall victim to landmine explosions, even decades after the Iran-Iraq war ended. While the Islamic Republic of Iran has made certain efforts to demine affected areas and establish a compensation system, individuals still suffer injuries from mines that the state has failed to remove or clear and struggle to get compensated following an incident. This research relies on data, case studies, legal analysis, and testimonies to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state’s victim compensation system. The findings reveal that the compensation process is lengthy and arduous, with state agencies prioritising the interests of the state over those of the victims and their families. Consequently, victims and their families are left in increasingly dire economic and psychological circumstances, as not all receive compensation, and those who do receive minimal amounts after significant delays. During this time, victims deplete their meagre savings, exacerbating their already precarious situations.

Dissonant Heritage and Women Empowerment: Mestûre Erdelan (1805–1847) as an Example of Performed Heritage in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat)

ABSTRACT Between 2009 and 2011, the Kurdish sculptor Hadî Ziaoddînî created a statue of poet Mestûre Erdalan (1805–1847), in the city of Sine (Sanandaj, Iranian Kurdistan or Rojhelat). A woman standing, carrying a book in her hand, the figure of Mestûre is unique in the Islamic Republic of Iran. She is not wearing the obligatory hijab but a Kurdish kofî. This paper presents the evolving representation and reception of Mestûre, the first Kurdish female poet and chronicler. The existing research on heritage in Iran focuses mainly on the policies of Pahlavi and Islamic regimes, tourism and conservation. This paper reveals the dissonant heritage-making that inspires Kurdish ethnic and national identity and the empowerment of women in Iran. The latter gained momentum, especially after the killing of the Kurdish woman, Jîna (Mahsa) Amînî, by the morality police in 2022. The multi-layered heritage performance engages identity politics, artistic creation and the new practice of visiting the statue of Mestûre. Starting from Ziaoddînî’s work as the focal point of discussion, the study identifies various links between the statue and other artistic products, as well as investigates the contemporary relationship between Mestûre and the inhabitants of Sine. The relationship is mediated by the sculpture and the moral imagination it stirs in empowering Kurdish women.

Parental barriers to implementing family-centred care in a neonatal intensive care unit in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Studies have shown short-term and long-term positive effects of family-centred care interventions on neonatal and maternal health, and developmental outcomes in neonatal intensive care units. However, some challenges and barriers limit implementation of family-centred care. To investigate parental barriers to implementing family-centred care in a neonatal intensive care unit in Islamic Republic of Iran. A conventional content analysis was conducted at a neonatal intensive care unit in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran from 2020 to 2021. Twenty semi-structured interviews and 9 field notes were conducted. The interview data were analysed using the Graneheim and Lundman method and the demographic data were analysed using SPSS version 21. Two themes emerged from the data analysis. The first theme was "inefficiency of playing the parental role", with 2 main categories of "face unpleasant feelings" and "inappropriate presence and participation". The second theme was "ineffective involvement of parents in the care", with 3 main categories of "lack of effective communication with personnel", "interference of parents in the treatment process", and "given insufficient information by parents". Parental barriers to the provision of family-centred care featured prominently in the study. Therefore, to improve neonatal and family health, there is a need for involvement, coordination and effective communication between the medical teams and parents to create a supportive and friendly environment in neonatal intensive care units.

An updated systematic review and Meta-analysis of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Iran, 1996-2023.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) poses a significant threat to public health, and the anticipated surge of over 100% in the age-standardized prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Iran between 2021 and 2050 underscores the pressing need for focused attention. The rationale for estimating the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Iran becomes even more compelling when considering the potential cascading effects on the healthcare system, quality of life, and economic burden. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and trends of DM from 1996 to 2023 in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Up to July 2023, without deadlines, the search for appropriate articles in Persian and English. Iranian sources including SID, Magiran, and Element were included in the databases, along with foreign ones like PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Science Direct, Embase, Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. Using the JBI quality checklist, the study's level of quality was evaluated. Version 14 of STATA was used to carry out the statistical analysis. The Dersimonian and Liard random-effects models were used because of heterogeneity. To investigate the causes of heterogeneity, subgroup analysis and univariate meta-regression were utilized. Sensitivity analysis was then carried out to see how each study's findings affected the final findings. The prevalence pattern over time was also followed using cumulative meta-analysis. There were 53 studies in all, with a combined sample size of 1,244,896 people. Men were predicted to have a type 2 diabetes prevalence of 10.80% (95% CI: 9.1-12.4), while women were assessed to have a prevalence of 13.4% (95% CI: 11.6-15.3). Additionally, the prevalence of diabetes was much higher in the 55-64 age group, coming in at 21.7% (95% CI: 17.5-25.0). The anticipated prevalence of diabetes was 7.08% for 1988 to 2002, 9.05% for 2003 to 2007, 9.14% for 2008 to 2012, 15.0% for 2013 to 2017, and 13.40% for 2018 to 2023, among other time periods. Geographically, type 2 diabetes was most prevalent in Khuzestan (15.3%), followed by Razavi Khorasan (14.4%), Qazvin (14.3%), and Yazd (12.6%). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes was estimated at 10.8%, highlighting variations across gender, age groups, and geographic regions that underscore the necessity for specific interventions. These findings advocate for proactive measures, including tailored screening and lifestyle modification programs. The notable temporal increase from 2013 to 2017 signals the need for policymakers and healthcare practitioners to develop effective strategies, anticipating and addressing the potential future burden on the healthcare system. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023437506, identifier: CRD42023437506.

Sociodemographic Characteristics of the Iranian Revolutionary Community in Syria and Lebanon in the 1970s.

The article is devoted to the comprehensive sociodemographic analysis of the local community of Iranian Islamists acting in Syria and Lebanon in the decade preceding the Islamic revolution of 1978-79. Thus far, history of everyday life and the multitudinous activities of the Iranian Islamic opposition in Syria and Lebanon in the 1970s has never become the principal subject of a historic research and has barely received attention from Western specialists in the history of the Islamic Revolution and modern Middle Eastern history, as well as from Iranian historians, scholars and researchers working in the field of the modern history of Iran. However, for a more comprehensive understanding of the Islamic Revolution, revolutionary processes and their logical premises and outcomes, it is highly necessary to carefully consider the sociodemographic characteristics of the active representatives of the Iranian opposition movement in the pre-revolutionary period namely in the 1970s. Throughout the comparative historical analysis of the reliable memories of longtime supporters of the Iranian Islamic movement acting in Syria and Lebanon, the fundamental sociodemographic characteristics of the active members of Iranian revolutionary movement abroad (e.g. gender, age, birthplace and place of living, educational and religious background, social marital status, etc.) are thoroughly highlighted, properly described and analyzed and their sociodemographic portrait is carefully created. The received sociohistorical data may properly serve as a valuable source on the social history of the Iranian society in the pre-revolutionary period, as well as on the complex history of Iranian revolutionary movement and the modern history of the Middle East region.

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Use of Diplomats in Its Intelligence and Terrorist Operations against Dissidents: The Case of Assadollah Assadi

The Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has two main intelligence organizations: the Ministry of Intelligence (MOI) and the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The two organizations are highly active on foreign soil with malign activities like assassinations. In 2018, the third secretary of the IRI embassy in Austria, Assadollah Assadi, was arrested and later convicted of involvement in terrorism. With the help of three of his assets, they had planned to bomb a gathering in Paris arranged by the Iranian opposition to the IRI. Assadi would later be identified as the principal intelligence officer of the MOI on the European continent. Analyzing the case of Assadi shows that the IRI has the will and resources to conduct significant terrorist operations and that the regime has a vast network of assets throughout Europe. Most significant in the failed Paris plot was that evidently the IRI Intelligence Community is likely compromised and that the regime has considerable problems in trusting its own intelligence officers.

Politization of Islam in Modern Iran: Autopoiesis of Shiite Tradition?

The article examines the development of politicized Shiite Islam in Iran as a type of autopoiesis (N. Luhmann) of this religious tradition. The topic arises from the actualization of the influence of religion on the life of a number of societies that have relied on technological modernization, as well as the importance that the topic of the optimal combination of modernization and traditional values is acquiring today. The purpose of the study is, based on an analysis of the activities of the Shiite clergy, to characterize the uniqueness of the revaluation of the values of Iranian society in the course of the development of modern philosophy and ideology of Shiism. The objectives of the study were: 1) to systematize the existing scientific approaches to the process of politicization of Shiism in the second half of the 20th – early 21st centuries; 2) consider the connection between political processes and the specific theology of Shiism; 3) reveal the dynamics of the relationship between the values of tradition and modernization in the teachings of Shiite religious figures; 4) clarify the specificities of the stages of influence of Imami Islam on the religious and political life of modern Iran. The research was based on theological and scientific writings of Islamic spiritual leaders, their opponents and followers. The key method used was historical-genetic, which made it possible to analyze the formation of Shiism in Iran in the historical and cultural context; and comparative, with the help of which the specifics of the various stages of the autopoietic formation of Iranian Shiism against the background of other denominations of Shiism and Islam in general were clarified. It has been proven that consideration of the path of development of the philosophical and ideological aspects of Shiism theology from the perspective of N. Luhmann's theory makes it possible to trace not only the external, but also the autochthonous foundations of the complex reverses of this religious model of self-awareness of society; as well as identify and characterize the functional specificity and dynamic characteristics of the process of politicization of Shiism in Iran. In modern Iran, theology influences the consciousness of believers, and, as a consequence, social and political processes, and not vice versa, as is commonly believed in relation to modern societies. The role of Imami Islam (Shiites) in the formation of values and behavioral attitudes during the actual structuring of relations in society turns out to be key for Iran. At the same time, however, this theology contains the potential for historical change: the very theological system changes, starting from its own concepts and transforming them. This constructivist approach turns out to be compatible with the emphasis on traditionalism. The logical possibility of such collaboration in building a new type of society is justified within the framework of the development of the theory of legal guardianship.

YOUNG PEOPLE AND FASCISM PROPAGANDA IN IRAN: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ANTHEM ‘HAIL COMMANDER’

Since its inception in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has enormously capitalized on exploiting youths, from the recruitment of child soldiers during the Iran-Iraq war to deployments of underage boys and girls for political socialization. Political socialization, in this sense, has involved reinforcing Shia/Revolutionary ideologies through mobilizing young people for various cultural activities and propaganda campaigns. As part of these efforts, and in line with IRI’s mounting domestic and international struggles, since March 2022, the government has heavily invested in propagating ‘Hail Commander’, an anthem produced and broadcast by the state-run media. Exclusively performed by 7-14 years old children in uniforms, the content of this anthem (lyrics and visual features) bears a close resemblance to the lyrics of Giovinezza (Juvenility) of fascist Italy (1924-1943) and the political ideals promoted by Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) in Nazi Germany (1926-1945). By drawing on theories of fascism, propaganda, and political socialization, and using comparative critical analysis, this study reveals the underlying propagandist messages in Hail Commander and its relations to the fascist/Nazi praxis and ideologies. It is further argued that the creation of Hail Commander should be seen as the revival of the child soldier phenomenon, albeit in the form of media representation.

NEW SAUDI IRAN NEXUS: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES FOR PAKISTAN

Diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran were severed in 2016. This is the result of the two nations' rapprochement, mediated by China. The two nations have committed to resolving the issues that divide both of them. Pakistan shares strong ties with Saudi Arabia and Iran. Given their proximity to each other and as neighbors, Saudi Arabia and Iran are frequently discussed in Pakistan's domestic and international policy discourses. The recent reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran may signal a dramatic shift in the regional balance of power and have far-reaching effects on Pakistan both positively and negatively. Furthermore, Pakistan has praised the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia as a noteworthy achievement and has welcomed the pact as a step towards regional peace and stability. In addition to maintaining balanced diplomatic ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia without feeling pressure to choose a side or mediate a dispute between them, Pakistan can gain from increased economic collaboration with both countries, especially by participating in the projects and initiatives spearheaded by China. The accord has been praised by Pakistan as a positive step towards regional stability and peace. However, Pakistan has both chances and challenges as a result of the new Saudi-Iranian alliance. On the one hand, the warming relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran may contribute to lowering regional tensions and open up new opportunities for collaboration between neighboring nations. Conceptually it can also result in more rivalry between China and the US for influence in Pakistan and the surrounding area. This study is to investigate Pakistan's opportunities and difficulties in light of the emerging Saudi-Iranian relationship.

Negotiating gender during times of crisis in the Islamic Republic of Iran: visual propaganda from the Iran–Iraq War to COVID-19

ABSTRACT This article addresses the representation and negotiation of gender norms in visual iconography in the Islamic Republic of Iran against the backdrop of the master narrative of the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88), which serves as a prefigurative image repertoire for propaganda and regime messaging in the post-war period. Drawing on images from the war itself and after, the article presents a historical perspective on the dynamics of representing prototypical gender roles, not only in relation to war but labour and industry as well. The article also highlights how gender roles were renegotiated in state propaganda during the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes the depiction of female martyrs defending the nation. However, despite the capability of state propaganda to renegotiate gender norms, this process remains circumscribed by the mechanisms of masculine myth-making and the male archetype of the martyr. In effect, such processes do not connote gender equality but rather unmask discourses on female martyrdom as double-edged: While agency in history is ascribed to women, the logic of the gender hierarchy is reified at the same time. Such observations regarding state-sponsored visual iconography in contemporary Iran contribute to the study of propaganda techniques used by authoritarian regimes.

Appropriating Hafez’s ghazals for Shiite rites and rituals in the Islamic Republic of Iran

ABSTRACT The poetry of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) is commonly grafted to classical Persian topoi, imagery, metaphors. Several war poets use classical poetry to communicate with their audiences as this poetry is familiar and they can effortlessly convey their political and ideological message. This article investigates how modern amateur poets use classical poetry to create their own poems for political and religious use. I shall specifically analyse a few instances in which the poetry of the classical Persian poet Hafez of Shiraz (1315–1390) is integrated in various ideologically Shiite contexts. Some scholars have argued that Hafez’s ghazals have little cohesion, characterizing the poem’s couplets as ‘pearls at random strung’, but as we shall see these ghazals enjoy thematic coherence, even their ambiguity creates spaces for a modern appropriation and interpolation of couplets in his poetry, allowing the use of a poem as a commentary on religious and political events. While I shall give attention to Hafez’s art of poetry, my main focus will be upon the modern application of his poetry by professional Shiite singers (maddāḥs) who perform such poems to whet the emotions of their audiences, placing the poem in a purely Shiite or ideologically Islamist propaganda.

Human rights in international law, state responsibilities and accountability mechanisms: a case study of Iran

ABSTRACT This research presents a critical theoretical and practical re-examination of the link between human rights' issues and politics at national and international levels. The study of human rights is an inherently multidisciplinary enterprise. The paper provides an insight into the relations between diplomacy and human rights and discusses how the latter are exploited for political and commercial aims. This study focuses on the case and constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), and the problem of hostage taking. An internationally-oriented study and based on theoretical arguments and an empirical research approach-notably by using several real cases of ordinary individuals of foreign and dual nationalities who became hostages and the subject of political games and financial conflicts between Iran and the Western countries-the paper highlights the issue of hostage taking of individuals by a state as a political policy and prisoner swaps involving financial and commercial deals. The paper provides evidence of the substantial suffering of the hostages and their families. The paper makes an academic contribution to the literature-the unlawful act of hostage taking involving a state has rarely been discussed -and addresses the legal vacuum in international law and human rights conventions regarding the topic.

Continuity and Change in the Role of Mysticism Under the Islamic Republic of Iran

Abstract The current study will evaluate the role of ‘irfān [the inner perception of knowledge; combining elements of philosophy, theosophy, mysticism and Shi‘i thought] within the Islamic Republic of Iran as a significant component of Iran’s cultural heritage. It will focus on several prominent clerics and intellectuals who represent the regime’s diverse political factions. This article will demonstrate that under the Islamic Republic, ‘irfān evolved from a marginalized area to a central phenomenon and became a tool to debate the political direction of the state and the relationship between its revolutionary and republican elements. While mysticism in the service of politics was more wide-spread among the reformist camp, ardent supporters of the regime resorted to ‘irfān to enhance an exclusive perception of authority based on the rule of the Supreme Jurist. It also created a shared spiritual basis among the Islamic State’s diverse voices. The result was a new blend between mysticism, philosophy, Western thought, politics, Islamic law, and even messianism, within an inter-connectivity between the mystical path and the Shari‘a. Consequently, a complex understanding of ‘irfān has to take into consideration the multiple fusions between Islamic mysticism and other trends and evaluate the result in a specific socio-political context.

Emergent spotted fever group Rickettsiae infections among hard ticks in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Tick-borne rickettsioses have become a health concern worldwide following the increasing incidence in recent decades. However, there is limited information about these diseases in Islamic Republic of Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the Rickettsia infection among ixodid ticks collected from cattle, sheep and goats in Islamic Republic of Iran. The DNA of ixodid ticks collected from cattle, sheep and goats in 54 villages of Zanjan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran, were collected and analysed using a spectrophotometer. Rickettsial-positive samples were screened by targeting the htrA gene and fragments of gltA gene were analysed. The variables were analysed using descriptive statistics and the χ2 test was used to compare the variables. A total of 528 ticks were tested. Overall, Rickettsia infection rate was 6.44%. Nine of the 12 tick species were infected. Rickettsial positive rates in Hyalomma marginatum and Dermacentor marginatus were 21.33% and 12.77%, respectively. R. aeschlimannii, the predominant rickettsia, was detected only in Hy. marginatum. R. raoultii, R. sibirica and R. slovaca comprised about half of the positive ticks and were recovered from more than one tick species. Considering the discovery of infected ticks in the Islamic Republic of Iran, there is a need to establish a tick control programme in the country, paying attention to populations at high-risk.