Sino-US rivalry: Expansion of Cyberspace Influence on Iran

Abstract

This paper describes how the emerging Sino-U.S. rivalry shapes Iran's cyber capabilities, as well as its broader ramifications for the region. It evaluates Iran's emerging partnership with China, which serves to bolster Tehran's cyber defense and economy but raises its tensions with rival regional powers in Israel and Saudi Arabia. Through this research, there is an effort to understand this regional cyber arms race that originates from U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran as well as assistance from China. The study concludes that the Sino-U.S. Rivalry will continue to play a role in shaping Iran's cyber policies and regional dynamics in the context of a fragmented global cyberspace and increased geopolitical competition. The research makes use of neorealism, the security dilemma, and constructivism as theoretical models to contextualize Iran's strategic decisions in the larger contest between Sino-U.S. global supremacy. China's initiatives, such as the Digital Silk Road, have enabled Iran to acquire crucial telecommunications infrastructure, cybersecurity tools, and high-tech technologies that it requires to survive U.S. sanctions and cyber-attacks. The studies suggest that the collaboration brings short-term technological and economic advantages, increases the dependence of Iran on Beijing, limits Iranian flexibility around the world, and increases regional and international tensions