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<article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/" article-type="research-article" dtd-version="1.2" xml:lang="en"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">Vestnik RUDN. International Relations</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title xml:lang="en">Vestnik RUDN. International Relations</journal-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Вестник Российского университета дружбы народов. Серия: Международные отношения</trans-title></trans-title-group></journal-title-group><issn publication-format="print">2313-0660</issn><issn publication-format="electronic">2313-0679</issn><publisher><publisher-name xml:lang="en">федеральное государственное автономное образовательное учреждение высшего образования «Российский университет дружбы народов имени Патриса Лумумбы» (РУДН)</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">52869</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.22363/2313-0660-2026-26-3-442-462</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="edn">EWOVXR</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="en"><subject>THEMATIC DOSSIER</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="ru"><subject>ТЕМАТИЧЕСКОЕ ДОСЬЕ</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="article-type"><subject>Research Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title xml:lang="en">The Soleimani Doctrine: Network-Centric Security and the Hybrid Paradigm in West Asia</article-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>«Доктрина Сулеймани»: сетецентрическая безопасность и гибридная парадигма в Западной Азии</trans-title></trans-title-group><trans-title-group xml:lang="zh"><trans-title/></trans-title-group></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3546-5361</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Zareei</surname><given-names>Ali</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Зареи</surname><given-names>Али</given-names></name><name xml:lang="zh"><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>PhD in the History of the Islamic Revolution, Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Central Tehran Branch</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>PhD (история исламской революции), доцент кафедры исламоведения, Центральный Тегеранский филиал</p></bio><email>ali.zareei@iau.ac.ir</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1859-7737</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Niyazi</surname><given-names>Aref Shorbi</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Ниязи</surname><given-names>Ареф Шор</given-names></name><name xml:lang="zh"><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name></name-alternatives><bio xml:lang="en"><p>PhD Student in Political Science, Science and Research Branch</p></bio><bio xml:lang="ru"><p>аспирант, научно-исследовательский филиал</p></bio><email>a_shorbiniyazi@outlook.com</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/></contrib></contrib-group><aff-alternatives id="aff1"><aff><institution xml:lang="en">Islamic Azad University</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="ru">Исламский университет Азад</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="zh"></institution></aff></aff-alternatives><pub-date date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2026-10-16" publication-format="electronic"><day>16</day><month>10</month><year>2026</year></pub-date><volume>26</volume><issue>3</issue><issue-title xml:lang="en">Regional Aspects of Contemporary International Relations</issue-title><issue-title xml:lang="ru">Региональные аспекты современных международных отношений</issue-title><fpage>442</fpage><lpage>462</lpage><history><date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2026-10-16"><day>16</day><month>10</month><year>2026</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement xml:lang="en">Copyright ©; 2026, Zareei A., Niyazi A.S.</copyright-statement><copyright-statement xml:lang="ru">Copyright ©; 2026, Зареи А., Ниязи А.Ш.</copyright-statement><copyright-statement xml:lang="zh">Copyright ©; 2026, Zareei A., Niyazi A.</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2026</copyright-year><copyright-holder xml:lang="en">Zareei A., Niyazi A.S.</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="ru">Зареи А., Ниязи А.Ш.</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="zh">Zareei A., Niyazi A.</copyright-holder><ali:free_to_read xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/"/><license><ali:license_ref xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0</ali:license_ref></license></permissions><self-uri xlink:href="https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/view/52869">https://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/view/52869</self-uri><abstract xml:lang="en"><p>This article conceptualizes the Soleimani Doctrine as an emergent security paradigm in West Asia, using a qualitative, interpretive research approach. While dominant analyses interpret Iran’s regional strategy primarily within realist and state-centric frameworks, this study adopts a theory-guided conceptual analysis to reconstruct the organizing logic of the doctrine as a network-centric and hybrid security model. The central research question examines how the Soleimani Doctrine is constituted analytically, and what are the core pillars that structure its operational logic in relation to complex regional threats. Drawing on academic literature, institutional documents, and public discourse as analytical data, the article identifies three interrelated pillars: (1) a network power architecture for coordinating state and non-state actors; (2) identity-based discourse production as a mechanism of transnational cohesion and legitimation; and (3) operational risk management incorporating hybrid and asymmetric practices. Rather than assessing empirical effectiveness, the study demonstrates how these pillars function together as an internally coherent security framework that generates strategic depth beyond conventional state-based models. By offering an analytically explicit reconstruction of the Soleimani Doctrine, the article contributes to discussions within Critical Security Studies and non-Western international relations by illustrating an alternative mode of security governance grounded in regional practices and contextual logics.</p></abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="ru"><p>Исследование посвящено рассмотрению «доктрины Сулеймани» как новой парадигмы безопасности в Западной Азии на основе качественного интерпретативного подхода. В отличие от преобладающих исследований, трактующих региональную стратегию Ирана преимущественно в рамках реалистических и государственно-центричных моделей, данная работа предлагает теоретически обоснованный концептуальный анализ, направленный на реконструкцию организационной логики доктрины как сетецентричной и гибридной модели безопасности. Центральный исследовательский вопрос состоит в том, каким образом формируется «доктрина Сулеймани» и какие ключевые элементы определяют ее операционную логику в условиях сложных региональных угроз. На основе академической литературы, институциональных документов и публичного дискурса выделено три взаимосвязанных компонента: (1) сетевая архитектура власти, обеспечивающая координацию государственных и негосударственных акторов; (2) формирование идентификационного дискурса как механизм транснациональной консолидации и легитимации; и (3) оперативное управление рисками, включающее гибридные и асимметричные практики. Не ставя целью оценку эмпирической эффективности данной модели, исследование показывает, как указанные компоненты образуют внутренне согласованную систему безопасности, способную обеспечивать стратегическую глубину за пределами традиционных государственно-центричных подходов. Предлагая аналитически конкретную реконструкцию «доктрины Сулеймани», статья вносит вклад в дискуссию в области критических исследований безопасности и международных отношений незападного мира, демонстрируя альтернативную модель управления безопасностью, основанную на региональных практиках и контекстуальной логике.</p></trans-abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="zh"/><kwd-group xml:lang="en"><kwd>Qasem Soleimani</kwd><kwd>hybrid warfare</kwd><kwd>Iran-aligned security network</kwd><kwd>strategic depth</kwd></kwd-group><kwd-group xml:lang="ru"><kwd>Касем Сулеймани</kwd><kwd>гибридная война</kwd><kwd>сеть безопасности</kwd><kwd>связанная с Ираном</kwd><kwd>стратегическая глубина</kwd></kwd-group><funding-group/></article-meta><fn-group/></front><body></body><back><ref-list><ref id="B1"><label>1.</label><citation-alternatives><mixed-citation xml:lang="en">Balzacq, T. (2005). The three faces of securitization: Political agency, audience and context. 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