The International Society's Incompatibility with the Islamic Republic of Iran

Introduction: Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the relationship between the international community and the Islamic Republic of Iran entered a distinct phase, characterized by institutional incompatibility. In this context, Iran, as a sovereign state, has been subject to uncooperative and often hostile interventions by the international society. This pattern began with developments surrounding Iraq's military invasion of Iran and the response of international actors, and progressively expanded through trends such as the imposition of extensive economic sanctions, political isolation, international efforts to support Iran's regional rivals (especially in the southern Persian Gulf), and the application of dual standards toward Iran's nuclear program, culminating in [mention the specific recent event, e.g., the April 2024 retaliatory strikes, or maintain the placeholder future date for consistency]. Meanwhile, the primary goal of this paper is to answer the question: What is the institutional origin of the international society’s incompatibility with the Islamic Republic of Iran, relying on the International Society Theory (English School)?
 
Methods: This study utilizes the International Society Theory (English School) as its theoretical framework to leverage its capacity for conceptualizing the nature of international society, its primary institutions, and the impact of these institutions on the Islamic Republic of Iran. The research employs a functional explanation method. Initially, after a review of the literature, theoretical discussions defining international society and its core institutions are presented, clarifying their intended, discipline-building functions. Subsequently, the functional explanation method is applied to analyze and evaluate the operational incompatibility between the five core institutions of the international society and the Islamic Republic of Iran. This stage examines concrete instances and examples of the disruptive and contradictory operations of these institutions in dealing with Iran as a member state.
Results and Discussion: The findings suggest that the operation of the five primary institutions of the international society—namely, the balance of power, war, international law, diplomacy, and great power management—in relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran has been disruptive and contrary to their main, discipline-building functions as defined within the International Society Theory. Consequently, Iran has been exposed to a wide range of issues stemming from the functioning of these global institutions, all aimed at creating incompatibility between Iran and the broader international order. Practically every institutional role-playing scenario in West Asia has directly or indirectly involved Iran, often exposing it to adverse consequences. Examples of the non-constructive and destabilizing operations of these institutions include Iraq's military aggression against Iran, foreign military strikes on Iranian soil (such as the event mentioned in the introduction), and the international community's use of dual standards regarding the Iranian nuclear issue.
Conclusions: The conclusions indicate that Iran's interaction with the institutions of the international society since the 1979 Islamic Revolution has been both direct and indirect, resulting in a profound and lasting experience of incompatibility. Iran has been consistently subjected to the functional role-playing of these institutions in the West Asian environment, which has largely contributed to creating and maintaining an environment of systemic incompatibility with the global international order.