Analysis of the grounds for the formation of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council against Iran based on Stephen Walt's theory of threat balance

Factors are very effective in forming alliances between countries. In fact, the goal of many countries in alliances with other countries is to gain more benefits and counter threats, because each country in the field of international relations acts on its own interests and enters into alliances with other countries. Therefore, it must be said that in the formation of an alliance, there must be two main factors (common threat and common interests). The victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 changed the situation in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East, including six Arab countries. The southern shore of the Persian Gulf has formed a council called the Gulf Cooperation Council so that they can deal with Iran as a whole. Therefore, this study seeks to answer the question of what are the grounds for the formation of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council against the Islamic Republic of Iran? The hypothesis presented in this research is based on the fact that the purpose of establishing the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council is to deal with the self-made threat of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The research method used in this research is descriptive-analytical. Findings of this study show that according to Walt threat theory, factors such as geographical proximity, offensive intentions, offensive power and increased offensive capability have led to the formation of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council against the Islamic Republic of Iran.