Leila Piran
Abstract: The Persian Gulf is one of the few regions whose importance to the United States is unquestioned. President Clinton has tried to maintain stability within this region through a policy of dual containment. Dual containment means that as long as regimes in both Iraq and Iran are unwilling to live in peace with their neighbors and the U.S., Washington must be the stabilizing force in the region to guarantee security. This article argues that this policy has been unsuccessful because of certain fallacies of the policy. Firstly, the conclusion of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union have drastically reduced the strategic importance of Iraq and Iran as their capability to play the superpowers against each other has been eliminated. Secondly, Iraq’s victory in the Iran-Iraq War significantly decreased Iran’s conventional offense capabilities, and Iraq’s defeat in Desert Storm had the same effect on them. Therefore, neither have the capacity to challenge the U.S. Thirdly, following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, Gulf Cooperation Council members are hesitant to enter into agreements with Washington. Fourthly, the United States enjoys having friendly relations with neighboring countries such as Egypt, Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Fifthly, the US advancement in solving the Arab-Israeli conflict strengthens its position in the Arab world and consolidates relations with US allies in the region.
Keywords: United States, Persian Gulf, Iraq, Iran, Cold War, Kuwait, Desert Storm
