1st Edition

Islands and International Politics in the Persian Gulf The Abu Musa and Tunbs in Strategic Context

By Kourosh Ahmadi Copyright 2008
232 Pages
by Routledge

232 Pages
by Routledge

240 Pages
by Routledge

The position of the Persian Gulf as the main highway between East and West has long given this region special significance both within the Middle East and in global affairs more generally. This book examines the history of international relations in the Gulf since the 1820s as great powers such as Britain and the US, and regional powers such as Iran and Iraq, vied for supremacy over this... Read more

Introduction  1. Pax Britannica in the Persian Gulf  The British Rising Star.  British Policy towards Iran  2. The Curzon Strategy. Growing Importance of the Persian Gulf and New Challenges  In Search for a New Strategy.  Abu Musa and the Tunbs.  Long-Lasting Dispute between Iran and Britain.  British General Policy of Expanding Control.  World War I and its Aftermath  3. The Restoration of the Persian Gulf Autonomy and the Issue of the Three Islands  The End of the Pax Britannica.  Iran to Reclaim its "Natural" Position.  Settling Outstanding Issues.  The Arab Radicals Picking Up the Banner the British Dropped.  Iran's Ascendancy in the Persian Gulf  4. Transitional Period. Regional Realignment  Renewed Iraqi Interest in the Three Islands.  Why did Iraq's Attempts Fail?  5. Confrontational Phase  Iran's Diplomatic Overture and its Fate.  Local Autonomy of the Persian Gulf in Danger.  Contributing Factors: Shift and Realignment in the Arab World.  A New Cycle of Activity on the Islands.  Conclusion

Biography

Kourosh Ahmadi is an Iranian diplomat with 26 years of experience in the region and international organizations.