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This book examines changes in the Persian Gulf security complex following the United States (US) invasion of Iraq in 2003, focusing on threats to the collective identities of two religious sects - Shia and Sunni. Although there is a growing body of literature examining security in the Persian Gulf, little focus has been given to the theoretical and methodological aspects of the problem. In this volume, Shayan analyses the causes behind the security changes which occurred in the region since 2003 and demonstrates how regional security dynamics are interlinked to perceived sectarian threats on the Shia and Sunni religious identities. This text is essential reading for political scientists, policy makers and scholars of international relations.

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Part I: Approach.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Theoretical Perspectives on the Persian Gulf Security Complex.- 3. Scrutinizing Causes: Process Tracing Method.- Part II: Analyses.- 4. Regional Anti-American Sentiment between 1980 and 2003.- 5. Regional Anti-American Sentiment following the Iraq War.- 6. Regional Rise of the Al Qaeda Threat between 1980 and 2003.- 7. Regional Rise of the Al Qaeda Threat following the Iraq War.- Part III: Conclusion.- 8. Conclusion: The Persian Gulf Security Complex Following the Iraq War

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Fatemeh Shayan is a teacher at Isfahan University, Iran. She is a post-doctoral scholar at Tampere University, Finland. She has been a visiting scholar at University of Exeter, UK, University of Oslo, Norway, Plekhanov University, Lomonosov Moscow State University and FINEC University, Russia.

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