The Impact of American Policies on Iranian-Arab Relations

Abstract

With the exception of its ties with the Soviet Union, Iran’s main foreign-policy concerns during the past few decades have been with the conservative Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf, grouped within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).¹ Arab-Persian and Sunni-Shia divergences —accentuated by both sides to serve short-term concerns — notwithstanding, Tehran considered GCC states’ internal, regional and world affairs pivotal to its own interests. Consequently, US-Arab relations, which altered the political behaviour of several Arab states, created a set of circumstances requiring both pre- and post-revolutionary regimes’ attention. In several instances, including the establishment of the GCC itself, US-Arab relations clearly preoccupied Iranian decision-makers. Lest we conclude that this was a recent phenomenon, it may be useful to recall the former Shah’s mediation efforts after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, when such efforts enhanced the Shah’s diplomatic posturing in the area. Similarly, the Khomeini Government adopted specific policies towards Iran’s Arab neighbours, because of the special US-Israel relationship. And in the case of both regimes, Iranian policies towards the Palestinian Question were, at least in part, ‘shaped’ by Tehran’s perceptions of US-Arab ties.

Opinions and conclusions in this chapter are solely those of the author.