The Militarization of the Persian Gulf and its Impact on Iran's Foreign Policy in 2019

The main concern of the regional countries in the Persian Gulf is to reach a significant level of security in this region, and it has forced some of the regional countries to react to ensure their security. Because the privileged position of the Persian Gulf is important in the trade and economic activities of countries. The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the most important coastal country whose economic activities are based on this sea, is a clear example of this issue. The method of this research is qualitative and descriptive-analytical, and the necessary documents have been collected from books, articles, and internet sources. Therefore, the main question of the research, as it is clear from the objective, is what effect has the militarization of the Persian Gulf had on Iran's foreign policy strategy? The hypothesis that the militarization of the Persian Gulf, along with the sensitive and strategic position of Iran in the Middle East region, the existence of civil wars and political instability in neighboring countries, and the existence of political challenges with strategic neighbors, along with the American military presence in the Persian Gulf, lead to more threats to Iran's security. Therefore, it is trying to manage these security problems by using deterrence tools in the region as well as developing its influence through material and spiritual power and military balancing and developing cooperation with China and Russia.