Iran Nuclear Deal and the Security of the Middle East

IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL AND THE SECURITY OF THE MIDDLE EAST, WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS AND CHALLENGES ON THE REGION’S STABILITY, AND HOW FORMING NEW ALLIANCES MAY BE A STEP FORWARD. A CASE STUDY ON THE COUNTRIES OF THE ARAB GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC)
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Iran Nuclear Deal and the Security of The Middle East, What are the Impacts and Challenges on the Region’s Stability, and How Forming New Alliances may be a Step Forward. A Case Study on the Countries of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Background and Rationale
Background
On July 14, 2015, Iran signed a nuclear agreement with the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and the European Union, which limited the prospects of the country developing nuclear weapons (Davenport and Kimball, 2015). The agreement was essential to resolve the concerns raised by different parties without military interventions. It was also vital to alleviate the challenges faced by Iran due to sanctions by key players in the international community that were detrimental to the country’s economic development. The withdrawal of the US under president Donald Trump’s administration from the Iran nuclear deal has influenced rejuvenated concerns over peace and security in the Middle East (Khalil, 2022). Resultantly, there are heightened tensions between Iran and other countries in the region, reflected in the foreign policy strategies adopted by different states. For instance, Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in developing nuclear weapons if Iran is successful in its program (Moosavian et al., 2022). Such a response aligns with sentiments Sagan (1996) expressed that nuclear capability is not only a weapon but also a political statement that can be used to influence international relations. Changes experienced in the region are also reflected in their relationship with the US and Israel, as highlighted by new alliances under the Abraham Accord (Munir and Cheema, 2021).
Bowen and Brewer (2011) note that the Iranian government maintains that nuclear weapons are not part of the country’s defense doctrine, and it upholds the provisions of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and other related conventions because they would increase the country’s vulnerability. Despite this, scholars suggest that Iran’s ambition for the nuclear program raises strategic challenges in regional security (Mirza et al., 2022). According to Mirza et al. (2021), the geopolitical and geostrategic competition over the spheres of interest between Iran and neighboring states has far-reaching consequences for the players directly involved and the Muslim world. Israel perceives Iran as a threat to the existing Jewish state, while Iran perceives it as a threat to its national interests in the region (Leila, 2022; Baqi, 2022). Bowen and Moran (2015) show fears among the neighboring countries in the area and the international community as Iran remains persistent in developing an expansive nuclear program beyond the established civil requirements. Therefore, there are potentially detrimental consequences for Iran, the Arabian Gulf region, and the international community that ...