Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, International Relations Department, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Political Science Department, Faculty of Humanities, Yasuj University, Yasuj, Iran

Abstract

"Why could not Trump succeed in introducing the Islamic Republic of Iran as a threat to international security?" This study seeks to answer the above question by applying the concept of "Macrosecuritisation" proposed by the Copenhagen school and is part of the theory of "securitisation".
This study seeks to answer the main question: "What are the reasons for the failure of Trump's Macrosecuritisation Speech act of the Islamic Republic of Iran?" It hypothesizes that Trump's failure to Macrosecuritisation of the Islamic Republic of Iran stems from five factors: 1) the inability to present the Islamic Republic as a macro-threat to the macro security Referent Object. Here, the world community (or at least the Western bloc), and to be more precise, disregards to the external aspect of the facilitating conditions of Securitization, 2) the lack of a unity of negatives as one of the success factors of a Macrosecuritisation 3) Lack of persuasion of the audience and, more precisely, inability to turn ordinary audiences into supportive audiences 4) Lack of adding a universalist dimension to Macrosecuritisation Speech act of the Islamic Republic 5) Lack of selection of appropriate watch words and terms words that can be invoked to move specific issues into the realm of securitisation without elaborate arguments about the securityness of the specific case.

Keywords

Buzan, B. & Wæver, O. (2009). Macrosecuritisation and Security Constellation:
Reconsidering Scale in Securitization Theory. Review of International Studies, 35, pp. 253–
276.
Buzan, B. & Wæver, O. (2003). Regions and Powers: The Structure of International
Security. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.
Buzan, B., Wæver, O. & de Wilde, J. (1998). Security: A New Framework for Analysis.
Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Floyd, R. (2010). Security and the Environment: Securitisation Theory and US
Environmental Security Policy. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Fagan , M., & Mordecai, M. (January 23, 2020). Before Soleimani’s Death, Concerns about
Iran had Fallen in Many Countries – Including the U.S. . available at: Pew Research Center
website: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/01/23/before-soleimanis-death
concerns-about-iran-had-fallen-in-many-countries-including-the-u-s/.
Stritzel, H. (2007). Towards a Theory of Securitization: Copenhagen and Beyond.
European Journal of International Relations, 13(3), pp. 357–383.
Trombetta, M. J. (2011). Rethinking the securitization of the environment: old beliefs, new
insights. In Thierry Balzacq. Securitization Theory: How Security Problems Emerge and
Dissolve. New York, NY: Rutledge.
Wæver, O. (2004). Aberystwyth, Paris, Copenhagen New ’Schools’ in Security Theory and
their Origins between Core and Periphery. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the
International Studies Association, Montreal, March 17-20, 2004
Wæver, O. (1995). Securitization and Desecuritization. In Ronnie D. Lipschutz. On
Security. New York: Columbia University Press.
Williams, M. C. (2003). Words, Images and Enemies: Securitization and International
Politics. International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 511-531.
Trump, D. J. (April 08, 2019). Fact Sheet - President Donald J. Trump Is Holding the
Iranian Regime Accountable for Its Global Campaign of Terrorism. available at: The
American Presidency Project, https:// www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/fact-sheet-
president-donald-j-trump-holding-the-iranian-regime-accountable-for-its-global.
Trump, D. J. (March 13, 2018). Remarks to United States Troops at Marine Corps Air
Station Miramar, California. Retrieved from The American Presidency Project. available at:
https:// www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-united-states-troops-marine-corps-
air-station-miramar-california.
Trump, D. J. (October 13, 2017). Press Release - President Donald J. Trump's New Strategy
on Iran. available at: The American Presidency Project website: https://www.presidency.
ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-president-donald-j-trumps-new-strategy-iran.
Trump, D. J. (October 13, 2017 a). Remarks on United States Strategy Toward Iran.
available at: The American Presidency Project website: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/
documents/remarks-united-states-strategy-toward-iran.
Trump, D. J. (September 19, 2017). Remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in
New York City. Retrieved from The American Presidency Project. available at::
https://www. presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-the-united-nations-general-
assembly-new-york-city-13.
Trump, D. J. (September 15, 2017). Remarks in a Teleconference Call With Jewish
Leaders. Retrieved from The American Presidency Project. available at:
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ documents/remarks-teleconference-call-with-jewish-
leaders.
Trump, D. J. (February 03, 2017). Press Release - Statement by National Security Advisor
Michael T. Flynn on Iran. Retrieved from The American Presidency Project. available at:
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-statement-national-security-
advisor-michael-t-flynn-iran
Trump, D. J. (February 01, 2017). Press Release - Statement by the National Security
Advisor on the Iranian Ballistic Missile Launch. Retrieved from The American Presidency
Project. available at: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/
press-release-statement-the-national-security-advisor-the-iranian-ballistic-missile-launch.
Trump, D. J. (March 21, 2016). Remarks at the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington,
DC. Retrieved from The American Presidency Project. available at:
https://www.presidency.ucsb. edu/documents/remarks-the-aipac-policy-conference-
washington-dc.
CAPTCHA Image