Unresolved territorial disputes have historically raised tensions between nations, often leading to regional destabilization and international repercussions. The issue of the three occupied UAE islands – the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa – deserves particular attention because it threatens to undermine regional security and has potential global implications. Given the commanding position of the islands over the major shipping lanes of the Arabian Gulf and their strategic location in the vicinity of important offshore oilfields, the continuing Iranian occupation of these key islands is undoubtedly a matter of international concern. By documenting the historical record and examining the relevant international precedents, this comprehensive study highlights and reinforces the legal and sovereign rights of the United Arab Emirates over the three islands. The study is supported by extensive and meticulous research based on both primary and secondary sources: declassified British and US archival records and original historical documents, relevant legal studies, memoirs of important personalities, interviews with key players and analyses by political commentators. In keeping with the UAE’s policy of seeking a just and peaceful resolution to this dispute, this book aims to promote a better understanding of its complexities by offering fresh insight on the historical, political, legal, regional and international dimensions of the islands issue for the benefit of policy makers, academics, researchers and decision makers concerned with the future security and stability of the Gulf region.

Unresolved territorial disputes have historically raised tensions between nations, often leading to regional destabilization and international repercussions. The issue of the three occupied UAE islands in the Persian Gulf - the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa - deserves particular attention because it threatens to undermine regional security and has potential global implications. Given the commanding position of the islands over the major shipping lanes of the Gulf and their strategic location in the vicinity of important offshore oilfields, the continuing Iranian occupation of these key islands is a matter of both regional and broader international concern. Documenting the historical record and examining the relevant international precedents, this comprehensive study assesses the legal and sovereign rights of the United Arab Emirates over the three islands. The study is based on extensive research in both primary and secondary sources: declassified British and US archival records and original historical documents, relevant legal studies, memoirs, interviews with key players and analyses by political commentators. In addressing the complexities of the dispute, the book offers fresh insight on the historical, political, legal, regional and international dimensions of the islands issue for the benefit of policy-makers, academics, researchers and decision-makers concerned with the future security and stability of the Gulf region.

In The Iran-UAE Gulf Islands Dispute, Charles Buderi and Luciana Ricart take the reader on a journey through centuries of Gulf history and evolving principles of international law on territorial disputes to reach conclusions over the rightful sovereign of three Gulf islands – Abu Musa and the Tunbs – claimed by both Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Drawing on a wide range of scholarly works and archival documents from sources as diverse as the Dutch East India Company, the Ottoman Empire and the British Government, Buderi and Ricart analyze historical events from antiquity up to modern times. Ultimately, the authors reach conclusions on the ownership of the islands under international law which challenge the positions of both parties.

Iranian ambitions in the Persian Gulf and rivalries with Arab neighbours are subject to intense - and heated - speculation, controversy and debate. Here, Farzad Cyrus Sharifi scrutinises the rival Arab-Iranian claims to Bahrain, the Shatt al-Arab waterway, and the Abu Musa and Tunbs islands in the years after World War II and before the Iranian revolution. Through investigation of previously unexamined primary materials and interviews with leading players, this book sheds new light on the evolution and dynamics of hegemonic and nationalistic Arab-Iranian rivalries and how these rivalries began to find symbolic expression through territorial disputes. Sharifi illustrates that these ongoing disputes - and the deep-seated tensions still prevalent in Arab-Iranian relations - are largely rooted in how they were constructed in the post-World War II period, making this book vital reading for researchers of the politics, history, international relations and diplomacy of the Middle East.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), made up of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is one of the most resilient sub-regional organizations in the world, and the most successful in the Arab world. it has been the forum through which much security cooperation in this volatile sub-region has taken place, as well as the main representative for the UAE's territorial dispute with Iran over the Abu Musa and tunbs islands. the organization aims to enhance defence cooperation between its member states. it also has significant potential to foster economic integration and to present an alternative form of leverage over the international oil markets. Very little is known however about how the organization really works: how decisions are actually taken, as opposed to how this process is formally articulated in its charter, and what the GCC's real impact on member states, the gulf and international relations is.Drawing on cutting-edge ir theoretical perspectives as well as unique firsthand access to GCC decision-makers, Matteo Legrenzi explains the mechanisms of Gulf cooperation - and its limitations - in the context of economic globalization, diplomatic regionalization and the rise of Iran. Combining historical context, primary source investigations and theoretical analysis, this is a comprehensive guide to the GCC and an indispensable resource for anyone concerned with the Gulf and the Middle East.

This book explains the foreign policy decisions of Iranian leaders, as well as the foreign policy decisions of its neighbors and major world powers. Iran is not treated primarily as a problem to be dealt with by the United States and its friends. There is an effort to understand not only the concerns and policies of the United States and its allies, but also to understand Iranian concerns and policy. Thus, this book is better able than many others to explain the actions, reactions, and interactions of all the relevant actors and to explore the prospects for future war or peace. Mattair provides a comprehensive analysis of Iran's relations with its neighbors and major world powers. He begins with a review of Iran's foreign relations from the time of Iran's founding in the 5th century B.C. through the Islamic era beginning in the mid-600's A.D., and the native dynasties that ruled in more recent centuries as Iran faced challenges from foreign powers such as the Ottoman Empire and Western colonial empires. The rule of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, from 1941 until 1979, is analyzed in detail, covering his efforts to deter aggression by the Soviet Union, forge an alliance with the United States, assert Iran's power in the Persian Gulf, and exercise Iran's economic power, particularly through its oil wealth. The bulk of the book, however, focuses on the foreign relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1979, during the time in which Ayatollah Khomeini and his successors have ruled. The reasons for Iran's early revolutionary activism, its antagonism toward the United States and Israel, and its war with Iraq from 1980 to 1988, are carefully examined. The reasons for international efforts to contain Iran, particularly efforts by the United States, are also analyzed. Iran's more pragmatic policies are explained, as well, including its close relations with Russia and China, its efforts to repair relations with Saudi Arabia and the other Arab states of the Gulf, its cooperation with U.S. efforts to topple the Taliban in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, and its offer of comprehensive negotiations with the United States in May 2003. Finally, Mattair analyzes the current global debate about whether diplomacy, sanctions, or military action are appropriate responses to Iran's nuclear programs, its role in Iraq and the Persian Gulf, and its resistance to Israel.

This book assesses Iran’s role in contemporary geopolitics. In particular, it examines three main intertwining circles: Iran’s development and political challenges, its relationships with neighbouring countries, as well as its relations with the major global powers — China, the European Union, Russia, and the United States. With contributions from over 20 authors, the book spans such critical aspects of contemporary geopolitics as modern history, natural resources, the economy, the social-political context, and strategic thinking. Particular focus is placed on Iran’s relations with its neighbours - Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, and the Persian Gulf States. Furthermore, the book offers both a bilateral and multilateral dimension on how nuclear sanctions imposed on Iran have impacted its strategic planning, from the economic and military perspectives.

An authoritative and wide-ranging book uncovering the rich heritage of the United Arab Emirates, its political renaissance and its modern transformation into one of the most developed nations in the world.

Examining Iranian foreign policy, with a focus on the years since 2001, this book analyses the defining feature of Iran’s international and regional posture, its strategic loneliness, and the implications of this for the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy. Iranian Foreign Policy since 2001 offers an in-depth analysis of the key drivers behind Iran’s foreign policy; power, strategic culture, and ideology. In addition, the authors examine Iran’s relations with key countries and regions, including its often tenuous relations with China, Russia and America, as well as its bilateral relations with non-state actors such as Hezbollah. The common thread running throughout the volume is that Iran is alone in the world: regardless of its political manoeuvrings, the Islamic Republic’s regional and international posture is largely one of strategic loneliness. Assimilating contributions from the US, Canada, Europe and Iran, this book provides an international perspective, both at the theoretical and practical levels and is essential reading for those with an interest in Middle Eastern Politics, International Relations and Political Science more broadly.

A heartfelt, honest autobiography written by the author. A brief synopsis detailing the challenges the author had to overcome in his fight to defeat a serious illness. The author's drive and passion to inform the public is a testament to his determination and compassion.