Iran, the Gulf and the Great Reset: MEMO in Conversation with Mehran Kamrava

With Donald Trump back in the White House vowing to tighten sanctions against Iran, the Gulf's ties with the Islamic Republic are in new unchartered waters, how will the US president's actions alter relations in the Middle East?

Iran and the GCC countries have a long history of suspicion, co-operation, competition, conflict and dialogue. During the fallout of the Arab Spring in 2011, we saw an intense rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which saw both nations sponsoring different sides in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. We also see close cooperation between them, despite sanctions on Tehran, the United Arab Emirates is a key trading partner and a place for Iranians to do business. However, the Israeli war on Gaza and Lebanon, the fall of Assad in Syria and the new Trump administration in the US, means the GCC and Tehran are in choppy new waters. What are the implications of these changes and how will leaders across the Gulf respond to one another? Helping us to understand all of this is Mehran Kamrava. 

Kamrava is Professor of Government at Georgetown University in Qatar. He also directs the Iranian Studies Unit at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies. Kamrava is the author of a number of journal articles and books, including, most recently, 'How Islam Rules in Iran: Theology and Theocracy in the Islamic Republic' ; 'Righteous Politics: Power and Resilience in Iran'; 'A Dynastic History of Iran: From the Qajars to the Pahlavis' and 'Triumph and Despair: In Search of Iran’s Islamic Republic'.