Iran: Its nearing present and a Chinese linchpin in Middle East

Overthrowing the Shahs monarchy Iran became a typical Islamic republic in 1979, and under supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini, religious clerics assumed political control. With the end of Shahs regime the effort of westernization and modernization of Iran get an halt. But in the Sunni dominated middle east Iran kept its unique identity by retaining its own language and adhering to the Shia interpretation of Islam.Three decades after the Shahs deposition and Ayatollah Khomeini launched his Islamic revolution, Iran's role in the world since 1979 and the chaotic events that took place for last 33 years still have resonance and significance today

Current key players:

The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei The idea of Supreme Leader is the brain-child of Ayatollah Khomeini, is the country's most powerful figure. The Supreme Leader appoints the head of the judiciary, six of the members of the powerful Guardian Council, the commanders of all the armed forces, Friday prayer leaders and the head of radio and TV. He also confirms the president's election. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad The constitution describes him as the second-highest ranking official in the country. He became the first non-cleric to be elected president since 1981.He is not in the favor of reform of political institution and a strong combative force with anti-western attitude at Tehran's nuclear programme The reformist A political reform group in Iran led by Mohammad Khatami who support his plan to introduce more freedom and democracy in Iranian legislation. On a platform of greater freedom of expression and measures to tackle unemployment and boost privatization he elected in presidential vote in 1997. Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) In pas last three decades of muddled Iran the Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) played a very significant role in formation of foreign policy, internal politics, country economy etc. It was set up shortly after the 1979 Iranian revolution to defend the country's Islamic system, and to provide a counterweight to the regular armed forces. A team of 125,000 active troops, boasts its own ground forces, navy and air force, and oversees Iran's strategic weapons. The force also some bad name also, US has also accused the Guards' 15,000-strong overseas operation arm, the Quds Force, of supplying explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) - powerful roadside bombs - to Shia militants in Iraq& Hezbollah. The Guards civilian presence is also to consider: Guards have a majority stake in the main Iranian telecommunication company, the Guards' engineering wing, Khatam-ol-Anbia(GHORB) holds the task of

the operation of Tehran's new Imam Khomeini international airport, they run university labs even thought to owns a car factory, they suppose to control around a third of Iran's economy. Guardian Council It is a six member theologians team appointed by the Supreme Leader and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by parliament. This council have the authority to approve any bill passed by the parliament and has the veto power if they find and bill is inconsistent with the constitution and Islamic law. The Clerics This community is the most influential part of Iranian society, Assembly of Expert is Clerics dominated which appoints the Supreme Leader, even theoretically this group has the authority to discard The Supreme Leader if they find Supreme Leader incapable of fulfilling his duties.

China measure
Americas break off relationship with Iran began not at the stance of President George W Bushs well media hyped tagline Iran as part of an axis of evil" which terminated in 2010, the UN voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Iran over the issue but much more sounds of canon that in the air till the date. End of Qaddafi regime, The Arab League is to suspend Syria over its failure to end a government crackdown on protesters, Emirates single largest dollar value order for Boeing aircraft of $18bn,alligations of an Iran sponsored assassination plan to Saudi envoy to US on American soil all are making breaking news in international politics. The nightmare of all intelligence agencies around the world is the Irans aspiration of a nuclear bomb. The rising power of the Taliban in Pakistan, a country that has nuclear bombs in its possession, is causing much tension in India, as well as in the U.S. and other countries. The increasing political influence and economic strength the IRGC holds inside Iran, is causing similar stress. And after grinding conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and a campaign in Libya just completed, the West is too war-weary and preoccupied with repairing cash-strapped economies to think of an another conflict and meanwhile China is busy in bottom-fishing in the dirty water of middle east contemplating Iran as the lucrative footing in middle east to counter US interest in rapidly changing region. Chinas over-stretched upcoming big brotherly attitude is backed by its gigantic economic size which dose matter a lot in its continuously extending prowess from South China Sea to Indian Ocean, from Gulf Sea to extended Africa Continent & Chinas modernization, urbanization & industrialization plan that demands endless energy source that Iran can fulfill to a great extent .Current UN sanction hanging on Iran have led china to stop new oil & gas sector investment in Iran but this may be the whole story as another data shown the all Chinese backed project in gas & oil sector is in a full-fledged mood. Chinese import of oil increased by 40% in Jan to Aug of 2011 in compare with same period last year.

Irans geographic position is quite unique in Chinese perspective as it is the only oil rich gulf supplier of energy which china can connect both by land and sea route but oil & gas is not the only reason which let Beijing-Tehran fall in this extra-marital affair but also because of Chinas unremitting effort to provide Iran strategic and military assistance both officially and non-officially. A recent paper from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which reveled that China-Iran total arms business may cross 3.6 bn. Like many other countries for Iran also, China plays the role of main arms supplier since 1980 which includes cruise missile, ballistic missile capabilities. China even provides Iran critical support to Irans nuclear program during 80s and 90s. Iran-China business relationship is one of the flourished ties that strengthening day by day, its said that it could reach $40 bn by the end of 2011 which was $30 bn last year. US old allies like South Korea, Japan and new friend like India are also buyer of Iranian oil in sizeable amount and Indias recent energy bill payment to Iran was a huge mess due to UN sanction is known to all. Like China but very unlike South Korea and Japan, India may find US its rival for influence in Middle East in long run. Indias compact dream of influence in Middle East may die ruthlessly by any of US ambitions in Middle East or Chinas effort to counter US imagination. India already invested heavily in Chabahar Port which China already counter by setting up a new port Gwadar in Pakistan, now its a new threat to India as stated Dai Xu ,a Chinese Air force colonel, China need both land and sea military base in Iran to counter perceived threat posed by democratic US and India in the region and protect Chinese face in the power projection of US and India in the Gulf and the Pacific. Beijing a powerful P5 member always have to face allegations to support Irans nuclear program early this year which includes Chinas supply of aluminum powder to Iran nuclear project .Now this kind of allegation against China is not a hidden secret but almost all agencies agreed on this fact. Chinas this fueling effort may not only damage US interest in Middle East but also could undermine the Shia-Sunni blood-shed. A truly nuclear powered Iran may be a negative up gradation for China and for both the Middle East and South East Asia, as it will be the worlds most congested nuclear wings zone- India, Pakistan, China and Iran. Iran shifted its enrichment program underneath a mountain near Qom, which make US and its allies a tough task to strike but according to many defense analysts such effort of western power can only delay the program for the time being. Now Chinese perception on Iranian nuclear program can scarcely be changed just by latching more and more UN sanction on Iran-what china will retaliate in two ways firstly stressing US effort to instigate new UN sanction on Iran in this geo-political chess they have Russia as her colleague and secondly China will make her way out as she managed in case of Taiwan, North Korea, South China Sea, Tibet and last but not the least human rights. Courtesy: Global Times, Peoples Daily, CNBC, Wikipedia, Google, BBC, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, The Economist.