Context

• The global war on terror, launched by the United States after September 11, 2001, sought to eliminate terrorism and contain threats to American interests.
• However, its interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq produced unintended consequences that strengthened Iran.
• By removing hostile regimes, creating political vacuums, and intensifying sectarian conflicts, U.S. actions enabled Tehran to emerge as a powerful regional actor.
• Iran’s rise demonstrates how military intervention can generate outcomes contrary to its original objectives.

The Removal of Iran’s Strategic Rivals

• Before 2001, Iran faced strategic pressure from two hostile neighbours: the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.
• The U.S. invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003 removed these governments, eliminating Iran’s most dangerous regional adversaries.
• In Iraq, the overthrow of Saddam’s Sunni-dominated regime enabled the emergence of a Shia-led political order with strong connections to Tehran.
• Iran subsequently developed substantial influence over Iraqi political institutions, security organisations, and armed militias.
• Iraq gradually shifted from a hostile neighbour to a strategic partner, significantly improving Iran’s regional position.

Sectarianism and the Expansion of Proxy Warfare

• The Shia-Sunni Divide
  • The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq destabilised existing political structures and intensified Shia-Sunni sectarian tensions.
  • The weakening of central authority encouraged religious identity-based mobilisation and armed conflict.
  • In Iraq, Sunni insurgent groups and Shia militias competed for influence, while regional powers supported opposing factions.
  • Iran strengthened Shia militias, whereas Saudi Arabia and other regional actors supported Sunni political and militant forces.
  • This proxy warfare increased Tehran’s influence and undermined the objective of isolating Iran.
• Iran’s Role in Counter-Terrorism
  • The emergence of ISIS paradoxically strengthened Iran’s regional position.
  • Tehran became a crucial military supporter of the Iraqi government, deploying advisers and coordinating Shia militias through the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
  • Iran’s participation in the anti-ISIS campaign provided strategic legitimacy for its military presence in Iraq and Syria.
  • Although the United States and Iran briefly shared an interest in defeating ISIS, meaningful cooperation failed to emerge.
  • The U.S. designation of Iran as part of the Axis of Evil in 2002 reflected continuing hostility and prevented sustained dialogue.

The Axis of Resistance and Forward Defence

• Iran’s regional strategy developed around the Axis of Resistance, a network of political, military, and social organisations extending across Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.
• Its major members include Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Shia militias in Iraq.
• These groups provide Iran with strategic depth and enable it to exert influence beyond its national borders.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Asymmetric Power

• Iran’s military strategy has focused heavily on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), particularly its Quds Force.
• The IRGC controls important strategic assets and coordinates Iran’s regional partnerships.
• Unlike conventional military forces, the IRGC specialises in asymmetric warfare, using military advisers, intelligence, missile capabilities, and allied armed groups to project Iranian power.
• This strategy allows Iran to challenge the United States and Israel without matching their conventional military superiority.
• Proxy networks have therefore become a central pillar of Iranian defence policy.

Power Vacuums after 2011

• The U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and the Arab Spring in 2011 created political and security vacuums.
• Iran was well positioned to exploit these developments because it already possessed established networks of allies and military influence.
• In Iraq, Iranian-backed forces became important actors in the fight against ISIS.
• In Syria, Tehran intervened to defend Bashar al-Assad’s government, protecting its major state ally and preserving access to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
• The prolonged Forever Wars consumed American resources and attention, allowing Iran to consolidate its influence.
• Its ability to operate through local partners reduced the costs of direct intervention while increasing strategic reach.

The Transformation of Iran into a Regional Power

• The removal of hostile regimes, collapse of political institutions, and rise of sectarian conflicts enabled Tehran to expand its influence across West Asia.
• Iran’s regional power rests on strategic depth, proxy warfare, political alliances, military networks, and nationalism.
• The IRGC coordinates regional operations, while allied governments and armed groups provide buffers against external threats.
• This transformation illustrates the limitations of strategies based exclusively on military containment.
• By attempting to reshape West Asia through intervention, the United States unintentionally created conditions for Iran’s rise.

Conclusion

• Although the United States sought to eliminate terrorism and contain Iran, its interventions removed Iran’s strategic rivals, destabilised neighbouring countries, and enabled Tehran to expand its influence.
• Iran capitalised on these developments through the Axis of Resistance, the IRGC, and an extensive network of regional alliances.
• Iran’s present capacity to resist pressure from the United States and Israel reflects the cumulative advantages it gained during the past two decades.
• Its rise demonstrates that military interventions can generate unintended strategic consequences, particularly when they disrupt regional balances without establishing durable political stability.

About Foot-and-Mouth Disease:

• It is a highly contagious viral infection that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats.
• Cause: It is caused by an Aphthovirus of the family Picornaviridae.
• It is a transboundary animal disease (TAD) that deeply affects the production of livestock and disrupts regional and international trade in animals and animal products.
• Intensively reared animals are more susceptible to the disease than traditional breeds.
• Transmission: It is transmitted through:
  • Infected animals newly introduced into a herd (carrying virus in their saliva, milk, semen, etc.); 
  • Contaminated pens/buildings or contaminated animal transport vehicles; 
  • Contaminated materials such as hay, feed, water, milk or biologics; 
  • Contaminated clothing, footwear, or equipment; 
  • Virus-infected meat or other contaminated animal products (if fed to animals when raw or improperly cooked); 
• Treatment: Vaccination is the only effective preventive measure against FMD.

About Perylene diimide:

• It is a derivative of perylene.
• It initially synthesized and explored as an organic dye, has since gained significant recognition for its outstanding optical and electronic properties.
• Properties:
  • PDIs exhibit exceptional optical characteristics.
  • It has strong absorption and high fluorescence quantum yield, along with remarkable electronic properties, such as high electron affinity and superior charge carrier mobility. 
  • It has a role as a fluorochrome. It is a dicarboximide and an organic heteropolycyclic compound.
  • The molecular architecture and electrical properties are closely related in semiconducting organic electronic materials
• Applications:
  • PDI derivatives are considered as potential candidates for photovoltaic applications and organic electronics.
  • They behave as n-type organic semiconductor materials and have been used in fabrication of solar cells, photovoltaic devices, dye lasers.

About Endometriosis:

• It is a complex disease where tissue lining the uterus overgrows outside it.
• It is caused by a mix of genetics, hormones, environment, and lifestyle.
• People with endometriosis have higher rates of other immune-mediated conditions, such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
• Treatment: There is no cure for endometriosis, but treatments are available for the symptoms and problems it causes.
• Global Burden: It affects about 10 per cent of women of reproductive age globally; India accounts for an estimated 50 million cases, representing nearly 18 per cent of the global burden.

About Resplendent Shrub Frog:

• It belongs to the family Rhacophoridae.
• Habitat: It is normally, cold-climate-adapted frogs move to higher elevations as temperatures rise.
• Distribution: It is endemic to the high-altitude shola-grassland ecosystems of the Anamudi region in Kerala’s Eravikulam National Park.
• Characteristics:
  • It is characterized by pronounced crawling behaviour. It is a ground-dwelling species.
  • They are nocturnal and hide from artificial light sources.
  • Reproduction: It undergoes direct development, without a free swimming tadpole stage.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

Key Facts about Eravikulam National Park:

• Location: It is an important protected area located in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
• It is also surrounded by other protected areas like Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Pampadum Shola National Park, Anamudi Shola National Park, and Kurinjimala Sanctuary.
• It is most famous for being the largest habitat of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr.
• It is also known as the “Land of Neelakurinji”, a rare flower that blooms once every 12 years.
• It is dominated by high-altitude grasslands and rolling plateaus.
• Anamudi Peak (2695 m), which is the highest peak in South India, often called the “Everest of South India” is present here.
• It consists of three types of vegetation: Grasslands, Shrublands and Shola forests.
• Flora: The Park supports a wide range of plant diversity, including grasses, shrubs, and trees adapted to high-altitude conditions.
• Fauna: Elephants, Gaur, Sambar Deer, Leopard, Tiger, Sloth Bear, and Wild Dog.

About ORV Sagar Manthan:

• It is an indigenous ocean research vessel.
• It is an all-weather, multidisciplinary platform.
• It is designed, engineered, and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR).
• It is constructed under Vertical-4 (Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration) of the Government of India's flagship Deep Ocean Mission (DOM).
• It is engineered to operate in extreme oceanic environments, including the Southern Ocean, with a projected service life of 30 years.
• Key Technical & Operational Features:
  • Advanced Equipment: It is integrated with dynamic positioning, multibeam bathymetry, multichannel seismic systems, sub-bottom profiling, weather radar, drop keels, and deployment facilities for Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV).
  • Research Spectrum: It will support multidisciplinary exploration along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges to identify multi-metal hydrothermal sulphide mineralisation, establish environmental baselines, collect upper-air data, and undertake CTD profiling.
  • Dual-Class Certification: It is built in full compliance with international regulatory standards under dual-class certification by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).