US – Iranian Strategic Hedging: International Competition in Central Asia as a Model

Abstract

The phenomenon of international competition is one of the aspects of international interaction, and it is a dominant characteristic of most international relations, especially in its economic aspect. The motivation behind competition in international relations is the intersection and conflict of interests in many fields, and despite the increasing interdependence of countries and codifying it within the activity of international organizations. However, conflicts of interest necessitate the prevalence of competition in international relations, especially among major countries such as the United States of America, China and Russia. Moreover, some regional powers have emerged as an influential player and a strong competitor in some important regions in the world like Central Asia with its vital strategic location and large energy resources, it seeks to assume a regional position in its surroundings such as Iran, and because of the nature of competition, the United States of America is trying to employ all its capabilities to enhance its influence in the region.

While Iran employs its capabilities, whether economic, military or even ideological, which can be included in the framework of strategic hedging because it benefits the state by achieving geostrategic security and economic gains. However, it is problematic to know what is the impact of strategic hedging in the policies of the United States of America and Iran and what are its repercussions on the Central Asian region? The greater the American pressure on Iran, the greater the Iranian impulse on the areas of American influence close to it.

The greater the Iranian influence in the areas of American influence, the greater the activity of the latter and the diversity of its policies towards it, and it is concluded from the research that the American hedge in the Central Asian region aims to contain Iran and prevent it from extending its influence to the region containing Russia from its southern wing, and China from its western wing with the removal of Russian-Iranian influence and replacing it with its subordinate influence, while strategic hedging allows Iran a new strategic area that enables it to confront the US campaign against its nuclear program, especially after the US siege after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as the US military presence came into contact with its borders, so Iran did not hesitate to take this opportunity to break the US siege and expand its influence.