ABSTRACT
The Persian Gulf region has been the most important area for the Iranian diplomacy since the revolution. The Persian Gulf’s location, as well as its political and economic potential, determines Iran’s regional position. Iran’s relations with the Arab states in the Persian Gulf region became strained and complex soon after the 1979 revolution. From the Arab states’ perspective, Iraqi invasion of 1980 was probably the best way to eliminate a revolutionary threat, because the Iranian authorities were fully involved in defensive actions. The Iranian nuclear programme became the biggest obstacle to an Arab-Iranian rapprochement during the Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presidency from 2005 to 2013. Iranian foreign policy in the Persian Gulf region has undergone significant modifications since Hassan Rouhani came to power in 2013. Hassan Rouhani’s administration did a lot in order to improve relations with the West. The best example of such rapprochement is the Joint Plan of Action signed by the P5+1 members and Iran on 24 November 2013.
