Publication

This paper examines the attitude and predicament of the Arab Gulf states vis-à-vis the Iranian nuclear challenge. Although relying on the United States for their external security, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have tried to avoid alienating Iran or hightening tensions that would otherwise impact their economic aims. The paper describes the GCC's two-pronged strategy of trying to ingratiate Iran while at the same time controlling the threat posed by its nuclear program. The authors further analyze the differences in existing threat perceptions between the GCC and the United States, and detail the impact of such differing threat perceptions on policymaking.