Arab-Iranian Rivalry in the Persian Gulf: Territorial Disputes and the Balance of Power in the Middle East

(Paperback)

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Iranian ambitions in the Persian Gulf and rivalries with Arab neighbours are subject to intense - and heated - speculation, controversy and debate. Here, Farzad Cyrus Sharifi scrutinises the rival Arab-Iranian claims to Bahrain, the Shatt al-Arab waterway, and the Abu Musa and Tunbs islands in the years after World War II and before the Iranian revolution. Through investigation of previously unexamined primary materials and interviews with leading players, this book sheds new light on the evolution and dynamics of hegemonic and nationalistic Arab-Iranian rivalries and how these rivalries began to find symbolic expression through territorial disputes. Sharifi illustrates that these ongoing disputes - and the deep-seated tensions still prevalent in Arab-Iranian relations - are largely rooted in how they were constructed in the post-World War II period, making this book vital reading for researchers of the politics, history, international relations and diplomacy of the Middle East.

Reviews

Through this thoughtful and carefully researched account of Arab-Iranian rivalry, Farzad Cyrus Sharifi-Yazdi seeks to place Arab and Iranian claims and disputes over territory and waterway access in the Persian Gulf in context. He succeeds admirably. Arab-Iranian rivalry might seem at first glance about hegemonic rivalry alone, but Sharifi-Yazdi in his book suggests otherwise. In this respect, the book is something of a landmark, as it deals with and explores the nature of engagement between the Shahs Iran (a major power in the Middle East) and the relatively weaker Arab entities in the region. -- Diplomacy & Statecraft

Author Bio

Farzad Cyrus Sharifi holds a PhD in Geopolitics from Kings College London, UK.