The Gulf States: Geographic Unity and Political Fragmentation

... will the Gulf response be?” Such formulations, and many similar headlines, are often misleading and fail to reflect the actual political landscape. This perception has also spread to Russia, where it has become common among specialists and experts on Middle Eastern affairs. Geographically, if the term “Gulf states” is taken to mean the countries bordering the Gulf, then Iran is likewise a major and indigenous Gulf state. If, however, the term is intended to refer exclusively to Arab countries, then Iraq also has access to the Gulf, albeit through ...