Archive Report
Archive Report
Ascending Power in Middle East
New Self-Appointed Guardian of Persian Gulf
After centuries of languishing in the shadow of its illustrious Persian heritage. Iran has emerged once again as a power in the Middle East and as a voice in world affairs. Buttressed by oil and aims, it has become the self-appointed guardian of the Persian Gulf, a region whose prodigious oil resources exert a profound influence upon world economies. For this reason alone, Iran increasingly commands the attention of the United States and Russia. Iran's new-found prominence is all the more surprising in view of the volatile political currents that swept the country during the 1950s, and its relative weakness throughout the last decade. But today, Iran's booming economy and military strength present another face ...