Iran: A Study in Strategic Importance

摘要

Iran is a country that played a significant role in the strategy of the UnitedStates in the Persian Gulf during the Cold War. As a result of the 1979 Iranian revolution, the taking of American hostages, and state sponsored terrorism by Iran the United States has shunned all relations with Iran. Indeed, the United States supported Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war. But after the 1991 Gulf War which destroyed the offensive military power of Iraq, the long term strategic balance of power has shifted 'to Iran. This country, which guards access to the Persian Gulf and has one of the largest populations in the region, is arming itself with unconventional weapons and probably developing a nuclear capability to the alarm of its neighbors. Iran is also developing attempting to spread its influence into the new Central Asian Republics of the Former Soviet Union. Consequently, an Iran that is friendly, or at least not unfriendly, is vital to the stability of a region that the United States has declared is in its strategic interest.