ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to delineate the kind of unipolar security system that US policy makers have sought to put in place in the Gulf. It argues that a unipolar system is unlikely to be effective in preventing conflict and bringing durable stability to the region. The chapter suggests that a better alternative to the unipolar system would be a comprehensive collective security arrangement in which all constituent states would have the option of participating without the military involvement of outside powers. The salient point is that the present US security approach provides for no dimension to help the region address the threat from major sources. Washington has pointed to Iran's actions in procuring arms as further evidence of the Iranian regime's quest for regional domination and on that basis has claimed further justification for its own hegemonic approach to the security of the Gulf.
