The International Politics of the Persian Gulf A Cultural Genealogy Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Politics Series

Adib-Moghaddam examines the causes and consequences of conflict in one of the most important regions of the world. Bridging the gap between critical theories of international relations and the empirical study of the Gulf area, this book expands on the many ideologies, cultural inventions and ideational constructs that have affected relations in the past three decades.

Key issues explored include:

• the rise and fall of Arab and Persian nationalism
• the international repercussions of the Islamic revolution in Iran
• the events surrounding the three Gulf Wars
• the 'mindset' of terrorist networks such as al-Qaeda
• why US neo-conservatism is threatening regional order.

Provocatively written, persuasively researched and conclusively argued, The International Politics of the Persian Gulf presents the first comprehensive analysis of international relations in the Gulf from an explicitly multidisciplinary perspective.

1. Studying Conflict in the Persian Gulf: An Epistemological Introduction 2. The Persian Gulf between Independence and Revolution: Ideational Shifts and Regional Repercussions 3. Westphalia and the Anarchic Gulf Society: The Second Persian Gulf War and its Aftermath 4. Whither the Leviathan: Sources of Co-operation and Conflict in the Post-Romantic Gulf 5. Towards a Cultural Genealogy of Anarchy in the Persian Gulf: Concluding Reflections and Ideas for Future Research