Instability of the Balance of Power in the Persian Gulf in 1970s and 1980s

Abstract

Examining the effect of Iraq, Iran and other countries of Persian Gulf, as well as the external factors, on the mechanism of controlling power and maintaining stability during 1970s is an important issue in the history of the Persian Gulf. Iraq's occupation of Kuwait (August 8, 1990) was the last strike to the control mechanism in the strategic region of Persian Gulf, a mechanism that had been seriously damaged by the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. During eight years of the Iran-Iraq war, the ineffectiveness of this mechanism was proven. However, the definitive death of this mechanism occurred when Iraq was uprising against the existing semi-armed state and tried to redefine its position by changing the structure and dividing the power of the regional system. At that time, the Islamic Republic of Iran, neither could nor wanted to play the role of a control mechanism in the regional system. On the one hand, the six Arab states of the region, which formed the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council and created the rapid reaction force and also a common defense shield, were attempting to deploy an internal control mechanism without requiring the two powers of the region, namely Iran and Iraq, while practically, it was revealed that without the support of transnational intervener players, they were unable to survive and maintain the region's system. Thus, formation of a coalition by major western powers for the liberation of Kuwait, the control mechanism that worked in shadows during the years after the 70s and only came to the scene at times of crisis and when the regional system was at risk played the role of regulating the equations and relations of the Persian Gulf region.