Strategic Studies of the Islamic Revolution

Strategic Studies of the Islamic Revolution

Strategies of Ayatollah Khamenei in Countering Hybrid Warfare (Analysis of the 2022 Protests)

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Hadi Rajabi
Assistant Professor and Faculty Member at the Comprehensive University of PoliceSciences
10.22034/irsj.2025.491033.1074
Abstract
This article examines the strategies of Ayatollah Khamenei in countering hybrid warfare, with a focus on the 2022 protests. The primary objective of the research is to identify and analyze strategies that can effectively mitigate the negative impacts of hybrid warfare. Given the increasing complexities of internal security in the contemporary world and the widespread use of hybrid warfare, which includes military threats, economic sanctions, and cognitive warfare, understanding and evaluating effective strategies to counter these threats is of particular importance. The analysis of the 2022 protests provides a valuable case study of this phenomenon. In this research, thematic analysis has been used to examine qualitative data. This method, by extracting and analyzing key themes from the data, enables the identification of underlying patterns and strategies. Additionally, the MAXQDA2020 tool was used for coding and constructing thematic networks. The findings of the research indicate that Ayatollah Khamenei, by emphasizing the strengthening of national solidarity and paying special attention to public vigilance, has presented comprehensive strategies to counter hybrid warfare during the 2022 protests. By highlighting the enemy's plans to create despair and hopelessness and attempts to change public beliefs, he called on everyone to unite and remain steadfast. In response to the enemy's use of media to influence the emotions of the youth, he emphasized the necessity of vigilant counteraction and accurate information dissemination. He highlighted the role of youth and women in maintaining resistance and cultural resilience and strengthened the armed forces and the Basij as guardians of security and order.
Keywords
Hybrid Warfare
Supreme Leader
2022 Protests
National Vigilance
Media Warfare
Subjects
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Strategic Studies of the Islamic Revolution
Volume 2, Issue 1 - Serial Number 5
Spring 2024
Pages 127-163