GEOPOLITICS OF THE PERSIAN GULF SECURITY: IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES

The geographical location of the Persian Gulf region is such that it has become the axis linking Europe, Africa, South Asia and South East Asia. More than 63 per cent of the reserves of crude oil and 40 per cent gas resources lie in the region. Today, strategic regions are categorized on the basis of their energy resources. Insecurity in the Persian Gulf or disruption in export of energy from this waterway even for a short period can threaten the industrial life of countries dependent upon oil and oil exporting countries of this region. Hence, security of the Persian Gulf has a special status in the foreign policies of the industrial and the oil exporting countries. The differences between the two powerful countries of the region and trans-region, that is Iran and America, are not over security but over how security should be ensured in the region.