Iran’s Geo-Politics: The Implications Of American Hegemony In The Middle East

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue IV, April 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Iran’s Geo-Politics: The Implications Of American Hegemony In The Middle East

BODUNDE David Oluwafemi
Afe-Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti-State, Nigeria

Abstract: After the Second World War there was intense rivalry on the control of the Middle- East affairs among the superpowers. However, America through diplomacy and persistence in the spreading of democracy made Middle- East its axis of political and economic influence. America made the shah of Iran to have political influence with a view to understanding the political terrain of the middle- East and to use him as an experiment for democracy in order to sustaining its hegemonic stability. Ostensibly, the Iranian revolution and the Iran/Iraq war had two dimensional effects on Iranian geo-politics. One, the revolution promoted democracy, two, and it weakened the power of Iran from having strong foothold to oppose American hegemony. Unknowingly to America, Iran has taken the advantage of the diffused political tension in the Middle East with the assistance of Russian technology and China’s economic relations to flex muscle with America. It may also be viewed that in the face of Iran democratic advantage, economic development, technological curiosity in the area of nuclear weapon and the Middle East political instability, the Iran geo-political strategic relevance is becoming a serious issue to American Middle East dominance. This paper therefore intends to examine whether Iran geopolitics constitutes threat to the American hegemony in the Middle East.

I. INTRODUCTION

Though in International Relations there is no permanent friend or enemy, the cordial relations of America and Iran before and what we are witnessing now attest to it that Iran had been in American axis of influence and showcasing America hegemony in the Middle- East. Iran also with Nathan1998 American support was very powerful dictating its Islamic and political philosophy in the Middle- East .However, America cannot compromise its ideology of democracy for Islamic oligarchy and autocracy. Diplomacy later dominated the relations by America tactically edging Shahof Iran out of political usurpation of power by introducing democracy where power can be effectively distributed with human rights in place. Followed later, was Iran/Iraq war, an attempt by America to cause a stalemate between the warring factions to enable America deep democracy and western values into the Middle- East politics (http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/covrtunitedforeignregimechangeaction). But as America was trying to be clever, Iran had got its own share of advantage from democracy in the area of political awareness, national sovereignty, power sharing and the essence of geopolitics.

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