Implications of U.S. arms sales to Iran

Abstract

Current U.S. arms sales to Iran were investigated against the background of charges that the sales were "out of control," and that the U.S. was becoming a modern-day "merchant of death" in the Persian Gulf. Iran's arms requirements were analyzed in the light of Iran's perceptions of local and regional threats, her desire for area stability, and her need to protect her oil resources and shipping lanes.

Rationales for U.S. supply of arms to Iran were also examined, including the mutuality of national interests, the high U.S. dependency on Persian Gulf oil, and the benefits of arms sales to U.S. defense industries. Major implications of the arms sales are the dependency of Iran's armed forces on U.S. support, and the unwritten commitment of the U.S. to supply that support for the next decade.

Iran and the United States will reduce their strong interdependency in the future, as the U.S. adopts a more restrictive arms sales policy, and Iran shops in other countries for arms.