Iran's position falls 9 places in the Global Peace Index
The International Institute for Peace and Economics says in its latest report on the "Global Peace Index" that Iran's position dropped 9 places in 2018.
According to the report, which was published on its official website on Wednesday, June 12, Iran has had the largest drop in the world's peace index ranking after Nicaragua, Burkina Faso, and Zimbabwe.
The report adds that for the second consecutive year (2017 and 2018), Iran's position in the Global Peace Index has declined, and last year it ranked 139th out of 163 countries and is in "orange status."
The report categorizes countries into four categories based on their peace index: green, yellow, orange, and red.
The Institute for International Peace and Economics takes into account various factors in its assessment, including external tensions. Iran has had the largest drop in ranking among all countries in the world in terms of external tensions.
The report referred to the US withdrawal from the JCPOA in May of last year and its escalating consequences, but stated that the main reason for Iran's decline in the global peace index is the country's continued involvement in the Syrian war.
The report also says that Iran supports some Yemeni and Iraqi groups and that its involvement in proxy wars has increased tensions with the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Iran has also increased its military spending from 3.75 percent of its total GDP to 4.56 percent.
According to estimates from the International Institute for Peace and Economics, the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and its sanctions have affected Iran's economic stability, and the worsening economic situation has increased the possibility of popular protests.
The institute adds: "Given the IRGC's inclusion on the US list of terrorist groups in April, Iran's tensions with the outside world are expected to worsen further."
In the Middle East, Iran has had the largest decline in the peace index, coming in second place after Yemen.
The most peaceful countries, according to this prestigious international institution, were Iceland, New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Canada, Singapore, Slovenia, Japan, and the Czech Republic, in that order.
The worst positions were for Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, Central African Republic, Libya, Congo and Russia.
The institute's annual report states that last year, 86 countries recorded higher peace and tranquility indices, while 76 countries suffered a worse situation, but overall the overall global peace index remained almost stable.
Source: Radio Farda
