Iran's Anti-hegemonic Actions and Measures Against the Increasing Threats of America in the Persian Gulf

Document Type : Original Independent Original Article

Author

PhD student in International Relations, University of Guilan

Abstract

The United States is one of the international actors that contributes significantly to the formation of power equations in the Persian Gulf. Iran's security is threatened by the United States and its regional allies' efforts to reduce Iran's influence and dominance in the region in order to control and isolate Tehran regionally. Therefore, given Iran's strategic and superior position in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Republic has threatened to block this strategic strait to exert pressure on the United States and its regional allies, which would have a substantial impact on their security and energy interests. Thus, the central question of this article is, what measures has Iran taken in response to the expanding U.S. threat in the Persian Gulf? Given the strategic importance of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to U.S. policy in the Middle East, the article posits that Washington is working to establish cooperation and a strategic alliance with the Gulf Cooperation Council in an effort to encircle Iran and remove it from the regional equation while threatening Iran's interests in the Persian Gulf. This, in turn, would reduce Iran's position in the region. Therefore, in response to these threats, Tehran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz as a strategic lever to exert pressure on the United States and its allies in the Persian Gulf. This article employs a descriptive-analytical approach.

Highlights

Introduction

Washington's regional policies prioritize the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz due to the region's significance to global energy supplies and the West's and the United States' dependence on these supplies. Therefore, the United States intends to use the Strait of Hormuz as a tool to control influence in collaboration with the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council. Due to Iran's regionalism, the United States and its regional allies are attempting to bring down Iran's revolutionary system in order to secure their goals and policies in the Persian Gulf. Therefore, Tehran has taken countermeasures against what it perceives to be threats posed by the United States and its allies in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Republic has threatened to close the vital Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. policies and pressures in the region. The Islamic Republic is challenging the regional objectives and policies of the United States and its allies by employing this political leverage.

Methodology

According to the nature of the research in terms of methodology, this research is of the "descriptive-analytical research" type. This is because, in this type of research, the researcher seeks to comprehend how the subject is and the relationships between its variables. In this study, information was gathered using libraries, specialized books, quarterly journals, and magazines, as well as various internet databases.

Results and Discussion

The Persian Gulf region has always been significant to the United States due to its vast oil and gas reserves and its ability to become the primary importer of arms and military supplies. The fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, on the one hand, and Iraq's attack on Kuwait in 1990, on the other, practically provided the facilities and grounds for the United States to gain a superior military and hegemonic position in the Persian Gulf and establish its direct presence in the region. The United States attempted to stabilize its position with a greater military presence in the Persian Gulf due to the requirements of the unipolar system plan and the significance of this region to this plan; Iraq's campaign in Kuwait provided the necessary justification and excuse (Akhwan Kazemi et al., 2020: 251-252). In order to maintain a reasonable price and ensure the availability of oil to meet the needs of the United States and Washington's regional allies, In fact, the principles of American foreign policy in the Persian Gulf remain centered on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, de-escalating tensions, reducing the arms race, encouraging constructive regional interaction between Persian Gulf countries, combating radical Islamist ideology, normalizing relations between Arab countries and Israel, reducing the regional influence of Iran, Russia, and China, and ensuring continuous access to the oil resources of the Persian Gulf (Hamdan AlAlkim, 2021: 379-380). Officials in the United States and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council believe that Iran has created a potential threat to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf by employing naval tactics and operations, missiles, mines, and other facilities (Katzman, 2021: 44-24). Under the guise of Iran's missile power, the West plans to impose extensive sanctions, create a ring of American missile defense systems around Iran, and neutralize one of Iran's most vital defense and deterrence mechanisms. Iran, using military force, can block the Strait of Hormuz for an extended period of time, a fact that Washington and its regional allies are well aware of. Due to the fact that Tehran currently holds the winning card of the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council are attempting to alter the route of oil transfer and export. They plan to bypass the Strait of Hormuz via pipelines and send Persian Gulf oil directly to the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and Mediterranean Sea (Chapman & Khanna, 2008:1-3).

As a country with a superior position in the Strait of Hormuz and with a longer coastline in the strait, Iran enjoys a unique position from which it can exert pressure or neutralize external pressures. Importantly, the Iranian government understands that closing the Strait of Hormuz will exacerbate tensions and military conflict in the Persian Gulf. Iran could use anti-ship cruise missiles, mines, and air defense systems in a coordinated and effective attack against the United States. Iran avoids direct countermeasures despite having options, including closing the Strait of Hormuz, which would jeopardize the security of shipping through the strait (Rouhi, 2019: 38-39). Some experts believe that Iran can deploy anti-ship missiles on the Qeshm, Siri, and Abu Musa islands and cover the entire Strait of Hormuz due to its military capabilities. In fact, Iran's sovereignty over the islands of Abu Musa, Greater and Lesser Tunbs improves Iran's military strength (Jansiz and Ejazi, 2021: 177).

Conclusion

Since Iran enjoys a strategic position in the Persian Gulf and can use the strategic lever of Hormuz to exert pressure on the United States and its regional allies when necessary, Washington authorities view this as a strategic threat to their interests. Therefore, Washington and its regional allies impose sanctions on Tehran in an effort to weaken the Iranian government and deprive it of its strategic leverage in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Washington and its regional allies have concluded that their actions have negatively impacted the flow of oil exports and the freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, as well as the prospects for peace and stability in this region. Moreover, Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz in response to US economic sanctions against Tehran, challenging the policies and interests of Washington and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.

The animosity between the United States and Iran, along with the direct presence of American military forces in the Persian Gulf region, has always prompted Iran to increase its military power in various areas to create a deterrent against the military activities of the United States and to ensure its national security in the strategically important Persian Gulf region.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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