Regional Studies Journal

Research Idea: This study examines the relationship between Iran and the Russia–Ukraine War during the period 2022–2024. It proceeds from the premise that the conflict has revealed profound shifts in the international balance of power, generated new alliances, and reshaped the global geopolitical landscape, making the positions of regional states a key indicator of their strategic orientations and interests.
Objective: The study seeks to clarify Iran's stance toward the war, identify the forms and extent of support provided by Tehran to Moscow, and assess the implications of this support for both the course of the conflict and the development of bilateral relations.
Methodology: The study employs two complementary approaches: the historical method to trace the evolution of Iranian–Russian relations and their underlying dynamics, and the analytical method to interpret relevant policies and positions and assess their broader implications.
Results: The findings indicate that Iranian support for Russia extended beyond the political and diplomatic spheres to include military and economic dimensions, including the sharing of expertise in circumventing Western sanctions. This contributed to strengthening Russia's position in the war and consolidating the strategic partnership between the two countries, while exposing Iran to additional Western sanctions.
Conclusion: The study concludes that the Russia–Ukraine War was not merely a bilateral conflict between neighboring states, but also an arena of competition between two rival international blocs: one led by the United States and its Western allies, and the other headed by Russia with the support of China, Iran, and North Korea. Within this context, Iran assumed a pivotal role that it embraced with strategic calculation and deliberate intent.

Research Idea: It examines the Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran-e Sazandegi) as one of the most prominent parties within Iran's moderate reformist current. It explores the party's origins and organizational development and analyzes its political and economic orientations and their impact on Iranian political life.
Objective: The research aims to identify the party's organizational structure and role in political participation, examine its views on governance, Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist), and foreign policy, and analyze its economic, cultural, and social orientations.
Methodology: The research adopts a descriptive-analytical approach, relying primarily on Persian-language sources, particularly the party's official website, its intellectual and media publications, and relevant academic literature.
Results: The findings indicate that the party represents a major component of Iran's moderate political current and has promoted policies centered on economic development, openness to the outside world, and strengthening the role of technocrats in state administration. However, its capacity to implement its political and economic programs remained constrained by the dominance of the conservative current in decision-making.
Conclusion: The research concludes that the Executives of Construction Party has contributed to advancing reformist and developmental trends within Iran. Nevertheless, its political effectiveness has remained dependent on the prevailing balance of power within the Iranian political system.

Research Idea: It examines Turkey's military presence in the Middle East and the transformation of Turkish security doctrine from the policy of "Zero Problems" and reliance on soft power to the adoption of a "Forward Defense" doctrine. It explores the shift from participation in collective international missions to an independent military presence following the geopolitical changes that emerged after 2011.
Objective: The research aims to map the distribution of Turkish military bases across the Middle East, analyze the strategic motivations behind their establishment, and assess their impact on the regional balance of power and on host states.
Methodology: The research employs a descriptive-analytical approach to examine the evolution of Turkish security doctrine and the implications of Turkey's military presence. The analysis draws on official statements issued by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant strategic reports.
Results: The findings indicate that the militarization of Turkish foreign policy has enabled Turkey to balance regional powers, particularly Iran and Russia, and strengthen its national security along its borders with Syria and Iraq. However, this policy has also generated political costs and contributed to regional isolation. Moreover, Turkey's military presence has evolved beyond immediate security concerns to serve broader strategic objectives, including securing maritime influence and safeguarding energy supplies.
Conclusion: The research concludes that, despite the geopolitical gains achieved through the militarization of Turkish foreign policy, this strategy has confronted Turkey with the challenges of high economic costs and regional isolation. The findings also underscore the need for coordinated Arab action to address the implications of Turkey's military presence for the sovereignty of host states.

Research Idea: The idea of the current study revolves around identifying the level of intellectual security among professors at the University of Mosul in light of the National Security Strategy (2025–2030), from their perspective
Objective: The study seeks to assess intellectual security among faculty members at the University of Mosul and determine its level according to academic rank.
Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach. The sample consisted of 250 male and female faculty members from the University of Mosul for the academic year 2025–2026. To achieve the research objective, the researchers developed a 40-item questionnaire, whose validity and reliability were verified. The instrument was administered to faculty members from several colleges of the University of Mosul and the Regional Studies Center. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, percentages, the z-test for two independent samples, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
Results:
1. The level of intellectual security among participants holding the academic rank of Professor reached 76.74%, which is considered a good level.
2. Among Assistant Professors, the level reached 68.84%, which is close to a good level.
3. Among Lecturers, the level reached 71.06%, which is considered a good level.
4. Among Assistant Lecturers, the level reached 68.90%, which is also close to a good level.
5. The results indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in intellectual security among University of Mosul faculty members according to academic rank (Professor, Assistant Professor, Lecturer, Assistant Lecturer).
The researchers further presented a set of conclusions, recommendations, and proposals.

Research Idea: This research examines Iran's policy toward Eritrea during 2005–2025 and explores how Iran has sought to expand its presence and influence in the Horn of Africa by exploiting Eritrea's strategic location on the Red Sea.
Objective: The research aims to identify the political, economic, military, and cultural tools employed by Iran to achieve its objectives in Eritrea and to assess the impact of competing actors, particularly Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, on this policy.
Methodology: The research adopts a descriptive-analytical approach by describing Iran–Eritrea relations and analyzing their motivations and mechanisms.
Results: The findings indicate that Iran succeeded in establishing a strategic presence in Eritrea by exploiting regional power vacuums and geopolitical opportunities. However, competing actors exerted significant pressure that constrained the expansion of Iranian influence.
Conclusion: The research concludes that Iran's policy toward Eritrea during 2005–2025 was driven by the country's geostrategic position on the Red Sea and relied on diplomatic, economic, security, and cultural tools to build strategic influence. Despite Iran's success in developing a multidimensional presence, its influence was constrained by competing actors, particularly Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Iranian policy demonstrated flexibility and adaptability within a complex regional environment, while competition in the Horn of Africa remains open to multiple scenarios.

Research Idea: This research examines the fundamental relationship between moral philosophy and humanitarian crises in the international context by analyzing how ethical frameworks shape the international community’s response to such crises. It is grounded in the central question of whether contemporary ethical thought is capable of aaddressing the challenges posed by humanitarian crises. The study highlights the gap between proclaimed moral principles and actual practice, underscoring the need for a philosophical reassessment of ethical concepts, particularly regarding collective responsibility toward vulnerable populations. The Gaza War serves as a case study for examining this issue.
Objective: The research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of moral philosophy in interpreting and assessing the international community’s response to humanitarian crises through the case of Gaza, which reveals contemporary ethical challenges.
Methodology: The research employs multiple approaches, including analytical methods to deconstruct key concepts, comparative analysis to examine patterns of international behavior, and a case-study approach to test ethical concepts in practice.
Results: The findings indicate that realist theory explains the instability of the international system and the predominance of national interests over ethical values. The Gaza War exposed violations and double standards that reinforce future conflict narratives. Historical examples further demonstrate that power alone is insufficient to resolve crises and that states that disregard ethical considerations may achieve short-term gains but risk losing international legitimacy and undermining their own security.
Conclusion: The research concludes that ethics is not a secondary consideration but a necessity in international politics. Combining realism with ethical principles offers the most effective path toward a more just and stable international order. International legitimacy is closely linked to ethical commitment, while sustainable peace requires leadership that balances interests with justice. The Gaza tragedy also highlights the need for effective international pressure to secure Palestinian rights and for the development of a binding global ethical charter that affirms equality in human dignity.

Research Idea: Transitional justice in Iraq is conceptualized as a mechanism for managing collective memory in relation to past human rights violations and repression. While compensatory justice has been implemented to redress victims, significant weaknesses remain in approaches to memory management. As a result, Iraq faces challenges in establishing a shared national memory that can underpin national identity beyond social and political divisions.
Objective: This study examines the Iraqi context through transitional justice and explores its role in constructing collective memory aimed at addressing the legacy of conflict and human rights violations.
Methodology: The study adopts an analytical approach supported by historical and descriptive methods to examine events and relevant concepts.
Results: The findings indicate that transitional justice in Iraq should serve as a foundation for building national identity. This requires strengthening the rule of law, implementing education programs that respect cultural diversity, and promoting acceptance of the other.
Conclusion: The study concludes that building a collective national memory in Iraq depends on reinforcing the authority of law as the main mechanism for dispute resolution and preventing individual retaliation, thereby eliminating the impulses. of revenge.

Research Idea: The research examines Turkey's position within the new regional balances that were formed after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, as a strategic shift that reshaped the balance of power and influence in the Arab Mashreq, and moved the conflict from the stage of competition for the survival of the regime to the stage of competition for the construction of the new Syrian state.
Objective: The research aims to analyze the repercussions of the Syrian transformations on Turkey's national security, and to study the dimensions of Turkey's role in security, economy, reconstruction, and regional and international relations, as well as to anticipate the future of Turkey's position in the new regional environment.
Methodology: The research adopted the analytical approach in studying the regional variables related to the Syrian transition, while employing the forward-looking approach in building future scenarios related to the future of the Turkish role.
Results: The research concluded that Turkey is one of the most prominent beneficiaries of the transformations following the fall of the Assad regime, and that the future of its influence in Syria is linked to the success of the process of building the new Syrian state, while the Kurdish issue, border security, reconstruction, and trade corridors represent the most prominent determinants of Turkey's role during the next stage.
Conclusion: The research concluded that the fall of the Assad regime contributed to the reshaping of regional balances in the Arab Mashreq, and that Turkey is a candidate to play a pivotal role in this new environment, but the sustainability of this role remains dependent on the levels of stability inside Syria and the nature of regional and international interactions accompanying the transitional period. Keywords: Turkey's Regional Role, New Syria, Post-Assad Era, Regional Balance, National Security.

Research Idea: This research critically examines the philosophical foundations of realist theory in international relations, which tend to reduce global politics to material conflicts of interest and to treat assumptions about anarchy and self-interest as axiomatic.
Objective: The research aims to deconstruct these premises and demonstrate their hypothetical nature by employing the normative framework developed by John Rawls, particularly his concepts of “realistic utopia” and the “Law of Peoples.”
Methodology: The research adopts a comparative critical-analytical approach. It first deconstructs realist assumptions, then reconstructs key Rawlsian concepts such as “moral reasonableness” and the “duties of peoples,” before systematically comparing the two frameworks.
Results: The findings suggest that realist categories are not neutral empirical facts but theoretical constructs open to critique. Rawls’s framework provides a radical normative critique that exposes internal contradictions within realist assumptions and challenges their claim to necessity.
Conclusion: The research concludes that Rawls’s idea of a realistic utopia offers an alternative vision of international order grounded in moral legitimacy rather than balance of power. It further calls for the development of a “new realism” that recognizes the possibility of reasonable cooperation and redefines interest in light of global justice. In doing so, the research contributes a distinctive theoretical addition to the philosophical critique of realism and proposes a transformative path for renewing both thought and practice in international politics.

Research Idea: This research is based on the premise that environmental courts do not contribute to peace merely through constitutional recognition of environmental rights, but rather when they generate procedural justice and enforceable decisions that balance implementation requirements with the rights of affected communities, while also addressing power asymmetries between the state and key environmental actors and impacted populations.
Objective: The research aims to explore the role of specialized environmental judiciary in achieving environmental justice and promoting community peace. It addresses a central question: how can environmental litigation effectively contribute to peacebuilding in societies exposed to potential environmental conflicts?
Methodology: The research adopts a descriptive-analytical and comparative approach, drawing on both peacebuilding literature and legal scholarship.
Results: The research finds that environmental litigation in Iraq continues to suffer from the absence of specialized environmental judicial bodies, despite clear constitutional obligations requiring the state and its institutions to ensure the highest level of environmental protection.
Conclusion: The research concludes that environmental legislation, despite its importance, acquires binding force only when supported by effective implementation conditions, foremost among which is an active environmental judiciary capable of issuing clear and enforceable rulings, backed by institutional and technical mechanisms that ensure compliance.

Research Idea: This research examines the problem of conflict of laws in cross-border digital transactions arising from differences in national legislation and the multiplicity of international standards.
Objective: The research aims to clarify the legal framework governing conflict of laws in digital transactions, identify the challenges of applying traditional legal rules in the digital environment, analyze areas of convergence and divergence between national legislation and international standards, and propose practical solutions to enhance legal certainty.
Methodology: The research adopts a comparative analytical approach.
Results: The findings indicate that differences among national legal frameworks complicate the determination of the applicable law in cross-border digital transactions. Nevertheless, international instruments, including UNCITRAL conventions, the Budapest Convention, and European Union directives, provide legal frameworks that states may rely upon.
Conclusion: The research concludes that clear national digital laws should be adopted, legislation should be updated to address conflicts of laws in digital transactions, and coordination among Arab states should be strengthened to harmonize the basic principles governing digital transactions.

Research Idea: Bodily harm is one of the most significant forms of injury affecting individuals, alongside material and moral harm. It directly affects bodily integrity and gives rise to important legal consequences. The concept of bodily integrity is based on the principle that the right to physical integrity attains its full value only when the body remains complete and free from impairment.
Objective: The research aims to clarify the concept of bodily harm and analyze its legal nature within the framework of civil liability, with particular emphasis on its independence from material and moral harm.
Methodology: The research adopts an analytical approach through the examination of legal scholarship on bodily harm and its relationship to other forms of harm.
Results: The findings indicate that bodily harm possesses distinctive characteristics that differentiate it from material and moral harm, as it affects the individual's right to bodily integrity, an inherent right attached to human personality.
Conclusion: The research concludes that recognizing the legal independence of bodily harm strengthens the protection afforded to injured persons by enabling courts to award compensation that reflects the nature of the injury and its various consequences.

Research Idea: Foreign direct investment (FDI) refers to the allocation of foreign capital into fixed assets within host economies. This study addresses the structural limitations of the agricultural sector in selected developing countries, namely Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, and Thailand, which exhibit insufficient productive capacity to meet international export requirements.
Objective: The study investigates the role of foreign direct investment in enhancing agricultural production and export performance over the period 1990–2023, under the hypothesis that FDI exerts a positive influence on agricultural exports.
Methodology: The study employs an integrated approach combining descriptive analysis with advanced econometric techniques. Time-series data are analyzed using the ordinary least squares (OLS) method, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model, and the error correction model (ECM), implemented through EViews 12. The model further examines the effects of FDI, exchange rates, inflation, agricultural output, and government support on agricultural exports in both the short and long run.
Results: The empirical findings indicate that FDI plays a significant role in driving agricultural and economic transformation in the selected countries. However, structural weaknesses in infrastructure continue to constrain the effectiveness of foreign investment inflows. The results also highlight the limited institutional capacity of agricultural extension systems in facilitating the adoption of modern technologies.
Conclusion: The study concludes that strengthening agricultural infrastructure, enhancing human capital through training programs, and promoting political and social stability are essential to improving the investment climate and maximizing the benefits of FDI in the agricultural sector.

Research Idea: This research examines sustainable water development and weaknesses in water management in Iraq. Achieving sustainability requires protecting natural water resources, including river water, groundwater, lake water, and rainwater harvested through dams. Reducing water losses and improving water-use efficiency are essential for lowering water stress and easing pressure on Iraq’s renewable water resources.
Objective: The research aims to analyze the state of sustainable water development in Iraq during the period 1990–2023, examine water resources and their uses, assess water stress levels, and identify the major challenges and risks associated with weak water management. It also highlights the seriousness of the water crisis and its implications for food and national security.
Methodology: The research adopts a descriptive and analytical approach supported by statistical tables, figures, and graphical data.
Results: The findings reveal a sharp and continuous decline in the flows of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers throughout the research period. They also show that the agricultural sector accounts for the largest share of freshwater consumption despite low water-use efficiency. In addition, modern water-saving techniques remain limited, including the use of cloud-seeding technologies that have become common in many countries.
Conclusion: The research concludes that the continuation of current water-management practices without effective reforms poses a serious threat to environmental and economic sustainability in Iraq. It recommends adopting a comprehensive water strategy that includes improving irrigation techniques, developing wastewater-treatment systems, and strengthening regional partnerships to safeguard Iraq’s historical water rights and achieve sustainable water security.

Research Idea: This research examines the legal basis on which the administration relies when directing administrative activity through oral orders. Such orders represent a manifestation of administrative authority within the state apparatus and reflect the legal relationship between superiors and subordinates.
Objective: The research aims to clarify the legal basis for the legitimacy of complying with oral administrative orders and to determine the legal responsibility arising from compliance with an unlawful oral administrative order.
Methodology: The research adopts a comparative analytical approach based on the examination of legal scholarship and statutory provisions, with reference to the French, Egyptian, and Iraqi legal systems.
Results: The findings indicate that oral administrative orders do not constitute a departure from the principle of legality; rather, they represent a form through which the administration expresses its will in an unwritten manner. Employees who fail to comply with such orders may incur legal or disciplinary liability.
Conclusion: Oral administrative orders constitute one of the administrative mechanisms used in managing public services. Issued by an administrative superior within the scope of his authority, they are binding on subordinate employees by virtue of the duty of obedience. Where such orders affect the legal status of individuals or employees, they may acquire the character of administrative decisions subject to annulment proceedings; otherwise, they remain internal directives governing the operation of the public service.

Research Idea: The digital economy represents one of the main drivers of contemporary economic growth, and is influenced by a set of macroeconomic determinants that contribute to providing the appropriate environment for digital transformation.
Objective: The research aims to analyze the impact of macroeconomic determinants on supporting and developing the digital economy in a sample of (13) emerging and developing countries during the period (2010-2025), and to show the nature of the relationship between macroeconomic variables and the level of development of the digital economy.
Methodology: The research adopted the quantitative-analytical approach using the Generalized Panel GMM Dynamic Panel Data Model (Panel GMM), as it provides the ability to address internal variance problems and achieve more accurate and reliable estimates.
Results: The results showed that the domestic money supply and credit of the private sector has a positive impact on the development of the digital economy, and the formation of fixed capital contributes to the development of digital infrastructure. Trade openness has also been shown to promote the transfer of technology and knowledge, while the impact of the current account balance has varied between countries.
Conclusion: The research concluded that macroeconomic stability, deepening financial intermediation, and investment in digital infrastructure are key pillars for accelerating digital transformation and achieving sustainable economic growth.

Iraq is a linguistically diverse country where languages from several language families are spoken. Prolonged political instability has led to internal displacement and migration, making it more difficult to understand the spatial distribution of these languages. In many parts of Iraq, linguistic documentation remains limited, whether in the form of language maps or other language-related studies.
This study addresses this gap through the systematic documentation of the spatial distribution of linguistic communities in Al-Hamdaniyah District, Nineveh Province, northern Iraq. While earlier language maps relied largely on general knowledge and sources such as newspaper reports, this study combines specialized demographic and geographic records with firsthand fieldwork conducted across settlements in the district.
For data visualization, the open-source GIS software QGIS was employed. The study produced a map showing the distribution of languages in Al-Hamdaniyah District. This map contributes to a better understanding of the region’s linguistic landscape, gives greater visibility to underrepresented linguistic communities, and assists in selecting representative locations for future comparative research on linguistic features using a language-data questionnaire.