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

With the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran and the disruption of many equations in various areas of national security, opposition forces conducted political and military operations in some border provinces and cities to damage national interests and objectives, leading to a significant decrease in security in these border provinces. Despite extensive efforts by the central government, not only was improvement not achieved, but insecurity increased day by day, and the army was deployed to establish and maintain security. The army acted in the border provinces according to its assigned mission and, through its prominent role and performance, restored security in these regions. The main objective of this article is to examine and analyze the performance of the Islamic Republic Army in ensuring the security of Iran's border provinces, with an emphasis on the provinces of West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and Khuzestan during the years 1978-1980 (1357-1359 in the Iranian calendar). The statistical population was selected purposefully in two phases: a qualitative and quantitative study of related documents and research, as well as organizational experts. The data collection method was library-based, and the tools included document review, interviews, and the distribution of questionnaires. To assess the validity and reliability of the questionnairewas based on a preliminary test and interview questions in both open and closed formats, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.8. Qualitative analysis was conducted based on content analysis, and quantitative analysis used descriptive and inferential statistics. Ultimately, eight strategic actions were identified to ensure security in the four border provinces.