Maritime Security of the Arab Gulf States: Analysis of Current Threats, Confrontation Mechanisms, and Future Challenges

Description

This book outlines the state of play in maritime security in the Gulf and provides a historical perspective to current issues while also surveying different mechanisms for Gulf maritime security, both at the collective and individual state levels. The book addresses a number of questions related to maritime security in the Gulf States, such as what are the main threats facing maritime security? Do the Arab Gulf States have the necessary naval capabilities to confront these maritime security threats? What are the efforts that the Arab Gulf States have made in order to maintain their maritime security? What are the regional frameworks through which the Arab Gulf States can address maritime security threats? And what are the obstacles hindering the Arab Gulf States’ efforts to maintain maritime security? This book would be a valuable read for Gulf Cooperation Council States, the ministries of defense in the Arabian Gulf countries, security institutions, the Arabian Gulf countries’ military academies, thinks tanks and universities in the six Gulf States, Western think thanks concerned with the Arabian Gulf region, and scholars specializing in Arabian Gulf countries. Acknowledgements Why This Book was Authored? About This Book Contents About the Author 1 Introduction 2 Theoretical Framework and Previous Studies on Maritime Security in the Arab Gulf Region 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Maritime Security in Strategies of Small States: A Theoretical Framework 2.3 The Concept of Small States and Their Security Dilemma 2.4 Small States and the Dilemma of Achieving Balance of Power 2.5 The Foreign Policies of Small Countries 2.6 Defence Options for Small States 2.7 Significance of the Theoretical Framework to the Four Chapters of the Book 2.8 Literature Review on Maritime Security in the Arab Gulf Region 2.9 Maritime Security Threats 2.10 Maritime Security and its Relation to Energy Security and Economic Security 2.11 The Current and the Anticipated Efforts to Maintain Maritime Security 2.12 The Author’s Own Comments on the Afore-Illustrated Literature References 3 Maritime Security of the Arab Gulf States: The Concept and Its Historical and Legal Dimensions 3.1 Introduction 3.2 The Maritime Security Concept in Theory and Practice 3.2.1 The Sea State Theory and the Arab Gulf States 3.3 The History of Maritime Security Threats to the Arab Gulf States: the “Tanker War” 3.3.1 The Role of Geography in Conflicts, “Seas as a Case Study” 3.3.2 The Tanker War… A New Course for the Iran-Iraq War 3.3.3 Illustration of the Western Intervention to Protect Oil Tankers: “Operation Earnest Will” 3.4 The Position of the Arab Gulf States During the Tanker War 3.4.1 Lessons Learned from the Tanker War 3.5 The Legal Regulation of Sea Lanes in the Arabian Gulf Region: (Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab) 3.5.1 The Legal Status of International Navigation Passage in the Strait of Hormuz 3.5.2 The Legal Status of International Navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait 3.6 The Relationship Between Maritime Security and Regional Security of the Arabian Gulf Countries 3.6.1 The Impact of Maritime Security on the Concept of Gulf Regional Order 3.6.2 Maritime Security is Cause of Establishing Military Coalitions in the Arabian Gulf Region 3.6.3 Employing Regional Conflicts to Threaten Maritime Security and Intensifying International Rivalry Near Waterways References 4 Maritime Security Threats and the Arabian Gulf States 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Targeting Oil Tankers in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman 4.2.1 The First Attack May 12, 2019 4.2.2 The Second Attack June 13, 2019 4.2.3 The Third Attack; Against the Tanker Mercer Street (July 29, 2021) 4.3 Iranian Threats and the Strait of Hormuz Closure 4.4 Piracy, Maritime Terrorism, Illegal Smuggling and Arms Trafficking 4.4.1 Maritime Piracy 4.4.2 Maritime Terrorism 4.4.3 Illegal Smuggling, Human Trafficking and Weapons References 5 Mechanisms of the Arabian Gulf Countries to Safeguard Maritime Security 5.1 Introduction 5.2 The Gulf Collective and Separate State Level 5.2.1 The Gulf Collective Level 5.2.2 At the Level of Separate Arabian Gulf Countries 5.3 Mechanisms of the Gulf Countries to Counter Threats to Maritime Security at the Regional Level 5.3.1 Role of Djibouti Code of Conduct in Countering Maritime Security Threats 5.3.2 The Council of the Arab and African Countries Bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden 5.4 Gulf Countries and International Partnerships for Maritime Security 5.4.1 The Naval Military Coalition for Maritime Security in the Gulf 5.4.2 European Mission to Monitor Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz 2020 References 6 Obstacles to Achieving Maritime Security for the Arabian Gulf Countries 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Difficulties Facing the Military Coalition for Security of Navigation in the Arabian Gulf 6.3 Building Naval Capabilities and the Gap Between the Gulf Countries and Iran 6.4 Challenges of Employing Technology in Maritime Security 6.5 Conflict and Rivalry in the Horn of Africa and Its Impact on the Security of Maritime Navigation References Book Summary Strategic Conclusions of the Book Index