ABSTRACT
In his State of the Union Address on January 25, 1980, President Jimmy Carter stated that, “An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.” This declaration, which has since become known as the Carter Doctrine, stated in plain and forceful terms that the Middle East is a region of critical importance to US national security.
