The Iranian century: the tension between Iran and the Gulf States

Abstract

The Arabian Gulf represents a significant part in the world because of its oil wealth. During the last thirty years, three wars have taken place in the region resulting in regional and global instability: the Iran-Iraq war; the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991, and the U.S. led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The fall of Iraq made Iran more powerful in the region, and as a domination strategy, Iran launched its nuclear program. Iran represents a major power in the region; it can destabilize the regional balance even more if it controls nuclear weapons, marking a potential arms race in the region Iran's nuclear program is threatening the stability of the region. The highest priority is to make the Gulf region free from weapons of mass destruction by all available means. The Gulf States, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar should work collectively to defend their interests. In an unpredictable world, a power vacuum could arise at any time in the region, especially when the United States withdraws from Iraq. More cooperation and coordination through the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) could help the Gulf States develop the capacity to play a larger role in their region.