Securitization of identities and the occurrence of major crises in the Middle East region from 2011 to the Al-Aqsa storm

Salehi, Seyed Javad; Emadi, Seyyed Razi

doi:10.22034/wasj.2025.541641.1105

Securitization of identities and the occurrence of major crises in the Middle East region from 2011 to the Al-Aqsa storm

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Seyed Javad Salehi ¹

Seyyed Razi Emadi ²

¹ University of Tehran

² Professor of University

10.22034/wasj.2025.541641.1105

Abstract

The Middle East region has witnessed a cycle of chaos-stability-chaos since 2011. The chaos in 2011 was caused by popular uprisings in Arab countries and the transformation of these uprisings into a major security crisis in Syria. In 2015, the Saudi war on Yemen led to another major crisis in the region. After a decade of chaos, a short period of security stability was formed due to the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore relations in the region, but Operation Storm Al-Aqsa in October 2023 has once again plunged the region into a new period of chaos and crisis. One of the most important reasons for the formation of successive chaos and major crises is that this region is the scene of severe identity conflicts. The question that this article answers is how identity conflicts have led the Middle East region to successive chaos and major crises? The main hypothesis of the article is that the "securitization of identities" and the disruption of the "identity-based balance of power" have led to identity conflicts and major crises in the Middle East. This research uses qualitative research methods and documentary studies.

Keywords

Middle East

security

identity

balance of power

chaos

crisis

Subjects