Publication

This report reviews the history of the US government's strategy of simultaneously containing both Iraq and Iran, known as "dual containment," and shows how adherence to the policy eroded during the 1990s. The author argues that this policy has incurred high costs and risks for the US and its allies in the Persian Gulf. The author suggests that the US consider phasing out "dual containment" and replacing it with a comprehensive diplomatic vision for the region that seeks to modify the ambitions of Iraq and Iran, reduce the need for economic sanctions against these states, and lessen the US military presence in the Gulf.