In the contemporary era, the great powers as per the history sequence of events still remain realistic and confrontational for the achievement of the desired national interest.
Accordingly, the nuclear deterrence since the advent of nuclear weaponry has diverted the direct conflicted among the great powers on one hand and fused the ignition of indirect confrontation among them on the other. The said indirect confrontation and strategic engagements vary from indirect intervention to guerrilla and non conventional conflicts, from proxy wars to the complex situations of hybrid wars.
According to rationales, the narrative control, cyber attacks, use of anonymous militias and irregular forces, clandestine supplies and diplomatic support are the important features of hybrid warfare.
These strategies aimed at weakening the adversary's intent hard power before its dilapidation in a direct conflict. It seeks demoralization of the rival. It evolves the disruption in communication, command and control and computer. It gives rise to economic segregation for the acceptance of political demands from rivals. Finally, it is aimed at coercing adversary's intentions and influencing its decision making.
Under such scenario, the Middle East (ME) is a terrible arena of the said hybrid wars. Iran, being a considerable regional power in ME, has very weighty developments to undergo in order to cope with the ongoing complex situation in the region.
It has to reorient its policy pursuits for the sustainable response to the great powers realistic competition and the ongoing hybrid warfare in the region.
It is mandatory for Iran how to incorporate the state of the art technologies in order to sustain the complex internet based devices by 2020.
It is required for Tehran to enhance their command and control system.
The decision makers in Iran must ensure capability in both conventional and non-conventional spectrum of strategic power.
It has to ensure how to cope with the propaganda campaigns against it. Particularly, it has to plant sympathetic analysis in the international media.
"The Hybrid Wars incorporate some ethnic and religious groups" as the tool of the vested designs. Tehran has to observe profoundly such developments and respond it accordingly.
Accordingly, Tehran has to work in the following pathways:
It has to give considerable weight-age to the regional powers and should resolve its divergences on urgent basis.
Specifically, it must work closely, cordially, fraternally and sincerely with Pakistan so that a guaranteed regional cohesion may be ensured.
Given the relevance of regional stability, both Tehran and Islamabad have to ensure harmony in order to secure the regional stability. For the purposes, a broad based strategy and a long term framework are required for sake of the diffusion of the ethnic and religious potential areas of threat such as Baluchistan, some parts of former FATA region, and GB in Pakistan and Western Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah and Sistan-Baluchistan in Iran.
