Foreign Policy of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States Toward Iran’s Nuclear Program

Abstract

Over the past two decades, Iran’s nuclear program has become one of the most critical foreign policy issues in the Persian Gulf region. The member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as Iran's neighbors, have exhibited varying responses to this program, rooted in their security, economic, and geopolitical considerations. The central concern of this study is to address the following questions: (1) What is the foreign policy approach of the GCC member states toward Iran’s nuclear program? (2) What impact does nuclear capability have on the foreign policies of states? This study adopts a descriptive–analytical methodology with the aim of examining the positions and strategies of the GCC member states in relation to Iran’s nuclear program, as well as analyzing the implications of nuclear power on international relations and state foreign policies. The findings of the study support the claim that the opposition of GCC member states to Iran’s nuclear program can be interpreted as an aggressive response to the potential shift in the regional balance of power. Recognizing that Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons could enhance its regional hegemony, these countries have sought to undermine Iran’s nuclear program through alliances with major powers such as the United States, as well as by imposing economic sanctions and applying diplomatic pressure. From the perspective of offensive realism, these efforts are not merely driven by immediate security threats, but rather by a desire to prevent the emergence of a nuclear rival and to preserve their own strategic superiority in the region. Conversely, Iran, by relying on its nuclear capabilities, seeks to bolster its deterrent power and expand its regional influence—an ambition that further intensifies the cycle of competition and confrontation.