ABSTRACT

For a long time after the Second World War, the West Asian region was looked at primarily as the energy reservoir of the world. The oil triangle of West Asia, comprising Iran, Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries was firmly in the political horizon of the US and West Europe with the major oil conglomerates of the West owning, operating and protecting the oil and gas reserves of the region. The major thorn in the cosy relationship between the oil-rich monarchies, and the Western oil companies and governments, was the Palestine issue arising from the creation of Israel in the post-war era.