Troubled waters

Insecurity in the Persian Gulf

Bibliographic Data

ID9910491
AuthorsJ Fulton (0000-0002-8228-5710, Zayed University, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume94
Issue6
Pages1474-1475
Publication date2018-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-5850 • E-ISSN: 1468-2346
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/ia/iiy216
OpenAlexW2899605370
LanguageEN
Citations received9

Mehran Kamrava opens Troubled waters with a big question: ‘Why is the Persian Gulf so chronically insecure?’ (p. 1). It does not give away too much to say that, by the end of the book, readers will harbour little hope that this chronic condition will change in the foreseeable future. While there is a deep and broad literature on security issues in the Gulf, Kamrava's book provides fresh insights on an old puzzle by focusing on the period since the Arab uprisings in 2011. As such, it is a valuable contribution and will be useful for those working on Middle East studies, Gulf studies and International Relations. In the introductory chapter, Kamrava identifies four factors that contribute to regional insecurity and inform his analysis. The first is the intense focus on material security threats that has led to a neglect of the rise of human security concerns. This has resulted in an increase in identity politics and sectarianism, both of which he sees as fuel for states that use these divisive issues to prop up wobbly regimes. Second, Kamrava highlights the importance of political agency in a region that has undergone unusually high levels of transition since 2011, including several changes in leadership. This, combined with the election of US President Donald Trump, contributes to a highly charged regional environment. Third, Kamrava emphasizes the nature of the regional security architecture. Its reliance on US power and the exclusion and marginalization of Iraq and Iran—the region's two most populous states—has failed to make for a more secure region. Fourth, Kamrava stresses that the security dilemma in the Middle East has become intractable and pervasive as a result of proxy wars—including the competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran

Agency (philosophy · Development economics · Economics · Human security · Identity (music · Middle East · Persian · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sectarianism · Social science · Sociology · Law · Middle East and Rwanda Conflicts

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