The Gulf in a Wider Context: Outside Nation-States in the Intensifying Iranian-Arab Security Competition

Abstract

Russell contends that Iran’s relations with its Arab neighbors do not take place in a hermetically sealed regional environment. Rather, both Iran and the Arab states balance one another by leveraging relationships with nation-states from outside the Gulf. He addresses the role of foreign powers in shaping Iran-Arab relations. The chapter traces the evolution of American policy in the Gulf, Europe’s dwindling security influence, Russia’s reinvigorated security involvement, and China’s rising profile in the region. Russell also examines Israel’s “shared security anxieties with the Arab States about Iran.” These foreign powers’ agendas are examined against the rivalry between Tehran and Riyadh.