As of 2024, according to Georgia Williams, Iran ranks number three on the list of natural gas-producing nations. The fact that Iran is strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway used to move large amounts of LNG (liquified natural gas), and is a nuclear power producer, places Iran in a vulnerable position. They’re not strong enough militarily to stand alone as a world power like China and Russia. They are also not a member of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) like Turkey. So they don’t enjoy the kind of military respect that Turkey enjoys as a NATO member.
Iran’s problem is that they have 2nd world capabilities, but they identify with the struggles of the 3rd world. So they tend to be targeted by 1st world nations. They are subject to strategic airstrikes. Their leaders are vulnerable to assassinations, and rival factions within Iran are externally supported to the extent that they can foment instability and internal rivalry. The assassination of the Ayatollah Khameini reminds one of the strike made against Libya and Muammar Gaddafi.
Although Iran is ranked third out of ten on the natural gas producers’ list, Iran continues to be classified as a ‘developing country.’ Iran suffers from an aging infrastructure, particularly in the area of energy, and structural economic weakness, such as state-run industries and corruption that leads to low-quality employment, stagnant growth, and high youth unemployment (‘brain drain’). They are exceedingly dependent on hydrocarbons (fossil fuels like oil and gas), and the fluctuating prices of these fossil fuels make Iran’s economy chronically unstable. This means that Iran consistently suffers from high inflation. Finally, because of political stances and the fact that Iran is classified as a non-aligned country as of 1979, Iran remains economically isolated and heavily sanctioned.
Although ayatollahs are popularly elected, this reflects an insubordinate religious institution. In democratic nations, the military and the church are subordinate to elected heads of state. This further illustrates that Iran is basically theocratic and not democratic. Thus, it potentially teeters on becoming an autocracy. The problem that Iran has is that it’s a vulnerable, developing nation with no military allies. Although it trades with both China and Russia, neither stands to gain anything by sending troops to help them to fight the U.S. or any other 1st world power. So Iran has no real allies in the 1st or 2nd world.
So even though Iran has technological capabilities beyond most developing nations, they retain the same internal vulnerabilities to 1st world influence and military actions that other developing nations have. In short, Iran must learn to navigate the dangerous world of global politics as a developing nation. This means that it must address its internal weakness and build real political, economic, and military relationships that result in allies that will help it in a military crisis.
Source: https://investingnews.com/top-natural-gas-producers/
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