초록
2019년 5월과 6월, 호르무즈 해협에서 상선들의 연이은 피격으로 호르무즈 해협에서 해양안보의 불확실성은 증대되고 다수 국가들이 관심을 가지고 역내 안정을 도모하려 노력하고 있다. 한국도 청해부대 임무구역 확장이라는 독자적인 형태로 호르무즈 해협인근의 해양안보 안정화를 위해 노력 중이나, 호르무즈 해협의 주요 역내 행위자인 이란에 대한 세부적인 연구는 미진한 상황이며, 이란 또한 공식적으로 자국의 해양전략을 발표한 바가 없다. 따라서 본 연구는 현실주의적 시각, 특히 케네스 월츠로부터 시작된 방어적(구조적) 현실주의의 관점에서 아랍-페르시아의 양극체제로서의 중동의 정세를 분석하고, 아울러 이란의 독특한 이중화된 군 구조와 구분된 역할, 그리고 전력구성을 연구함으로서 이란의 국가전략과 해양전략을 도출하였다.
Four cargo ships were ambushed by bombs in 2019 while navigating in the Strait of Hormuz. It was not clear who attacked those ships, however, many nations including the United States argued that it was Iran due to several reasons. The United States established the maritime collective defense system named International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) in order to protect the maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, without disclosure against whom it is aimed. Persian, who uses the Persian language unlike other countries in the Middle East, is the major ethnic group in Iran, and most of them believe Shi'ah Islam while most of the Arabs in the Gulf countries adhere to Sunni Islam. It seems that historic and religious motives caused the bipolar system in the Middle East, however, it is plausible to analyze the system of international affairs in the Middle East via defensive or structural realism. Iran has attempted to maintain its hegemony in the region by supporting Shi'ah muslims in the neighboring countries as well as in the world by using military and economic means. In this context, Iran's maritime strategy is to maintain its maritime hegemony on the Persian Gulf via countering threats and cooperating with friendly navies by using the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy(IRIN) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy(IRGCN). IRIN acts like other navies in the world: protecting national interest at sea, expending its operational areas to the outer seas, and enhancing cooperation with other navies. Meanwhile, IRGCN plays a role as an asymmetric force at sea. It is composed of small and fast asymmetric assets, which can ambush ships fast and furious. Considering the poor study for Iran's maritime strategy in Korea, analyzing the strategy is meaningful for the Republic of Korea Navy, which has operated the Cheonghae Unit for more than ten years since it has extended its operational area over the Strait of Hormuz. In order not to be drawn into the conflict in the Strait, research on the maritime strategy of Iran and other countries in the Middle East should be started.