The United States and Persian Gulf Security, The

The international relations of the Persian Gulf have long been dominated by power politics. Its unrivalled energy resources have historically made this geopolitical arena a vital national security interest for the United States. Historically, Persian Gulf security became synonymous with the maintenance of the political status quo, but with the onset of the War on Terror, US foreign policy has shifted in priority towards combatting the root causes of Islamic extremism. The age-old policy of maint