The Tactical Role of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army in Securing Border Provinces (A Case Study from the Victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran to the Beginning of the War)

The role of the army as the military core in ensuring the security of the country's border provinces from the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran until the beginning of the imposed war is a turning point in the history of the Islamic Republic Army and the armed forces, containing highly valuable lessons for current and future commanders at a tactical level. The main objective of the article is to examine and analyze the army's performance based on the tactical role played in securing the country's border provinces, with an emphasis on the provinces of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and Khuzestan. The statistical population was selected in two phases—qualitative and quantitative—through the study of related documents and research, as well as internal organizational experts using purposive sampling. The data collection method was library-based, and the tools included reviewing documents and records, conducting interviews, and distributing questionnaires. For assessing the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, a preliminary test was used. Interview questions were both open and closed, and the Cronbach's alpha was calculated as 0.7. Qualitative analysis was based on content analysis, and quantitative analysis utilized descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS. The conclusion was: the army has fulfilled 15 roles and performed 42 very good functions, reflecting the very high importance of its role.At the tactical level, it has been involved in establishing security in the four border provinces.