The Impact of Iran Phobia on Arms Race in Persian Gulf After 2001

In the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, America's vital interest in the region was seriously challenged. Since this time, the project of Iran-phobia in various fields of military, political, economic, advertising and media, especially in the Western countries and America, was on the agenda and eventually led to the fear of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Middle East. The main question of this research is that, what is the relation between Iran-phobia and Middle East arms purchases? The hypothesis of this paper is that instilling fear of Iran leads to obtain greater economic benefits for Western countries and America through the sale of weapons to countries in the Middle East. The present article is using new approach as a conceptual framework, and using descriptive and analytical method to evaluate the effect of Iran-phobia on the upward movement of weapons purchases in the Middle East.


Axis of Iran-Phobia
Axis of Iran-phobia, as one of America's advertising policies, may be outlined in seven paragraphs: 1-Iran's access to nuclear weapons., 2-Supporting terrorism, 3-Violation of human rights, 4-Offensive and defensive technology to Iran, 5-Meddling in their affairs, 6-Islamic political systems, 7-Opposing against peace and regional stability.To show the nature and elements of the religious system as defaced, and approach towards the Iranian conflict, is the common point of all aforementioned axis result of which draws the face of the Islamic Republic in mind of the target audience that is based on the default creating shock.

The Extent of Iran-Phobia
Iran-phobia has a wide range of both governments and peoples in itself.It also goes beyond of the region, and in the global distribution takes place.The governments of Muslim countries, the nations of the world, the Muslim nations and other nations of the world, each have been in the range of Iran-phobia policy.So we can show Iran-phobia in the next frame work; Figure 1, the scope of Iran-phobia We can order any of the aforementioned topics to suit a range Iran-phobia that as the result, some choices like claim of Iran interference in other countries' issues in worldwide and some options, such as claims of human rights violations in Iran among the people and the government generally carried out by non-Muslim.What is investigated in this study, is the "Iran-phobia in the range of nations".

Weapon Spending's of Members of Persian Gulf Cooperation Council in Recent Years
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in April 2014, the total cost of the arms to the Middle East in 2013 is estimated to be 150 billion dollars which shows an increase of 4 percent compared to last year shows; In total, the ten-year period, 2004 to 2013, weapons and military spending in the region has increased by 56%.In 2012, the United Arab Emirates ordered two types of anti-ballistic missile system from America, and received

People Government
Non-Muslims the first shipment of its orders, which includes four pieces of anti-ballistic defense radar system.A system that Saudi Arabia had ordered 21 pieces of it in 2011, Kuwait and Qatar also announced in 2012 their intention to buy it.Government officials in Saudi Arabia, had ordered 48 combat aircraft "Typhoon" to England and 152 fighter jets "F-15" purchased from America, and 30 billion dollars paid for the latter.US officials believe that the contract has more than fifty thousand jobs, and three and a half billion dollars annually to help America's economy.It should be noted that the contract is part of a larger ten-year contract that Its value Emirates signed a deal to buy anti-ballistic missile system in 2011 with the United States of America, the first country that signed such an agreement with America.It should be noted that America's arms sales are not exclusive to Emirates and issues related to nuclear energy will also be included.In 2009 peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates, American government pledged to develop a peaceful nuclear energy program with Emirates.Cooperating in the field of defense and security, America and the United Arab Emirates worked closely with each other from years ago, in 1995 bilateral defense agreement was signed between America and the UAE which America was allowed to withdraw his forces in the port of "Jebel Ali" deploy, so much so that in November 2011 about three thousand American soldiers were mostly from the country's Air Force were present in the UAE (Yazdan Panah, 2014: 11).The largest increase arms spending in 2013 among the countries of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain with 26 per cent allocated, this interpretation of these findings is that the project of Iran-phobia over the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council members Bahrain has affected the country.No information is available about the United Arab Emirates and Qatar's armament and military spending in 2013; In fact, it is not clear how much these countries have spent for military and security activities for that year; therefore, it is difficult to speak exactly about the activities of the two countries in that year.An attracting matter in this year is that Saudi Arabia, which in 2012 ranked seventh in the world's arms spending and military, this year had a 14 percent increase in defense spending, so its rank improved from seventh to fourth in the world.Saudi Arabia totally has spent 67 billion dollars on military and commercial activities accounting for 3.9 percent of GDP this year at the expense of armament and military.In fact, from 2004 to 2013, military and arms spending of Saudi Arabia has been risen 118 percent.In Oman, another member of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, military and arms spending has decreased about 27% lower than in 2012; Yet still show a 31% growth compared to 2011.Oman devoted 11/3 percent of its GDP to military spending and arms, most of the budget allocated to it, and it has made the first rank in the world in this respect.

Relationship Between Iran-Phobia and Arms Purchases
The Middle East has never been among the most developed regions of the world; and South rim of the Persian Gulf Arab states, except for the extraction and sale of oil, have not strong industry at the international level.The bulk of spending in these countries is provided through the extraction of crude oil and selling it to industrialized countries, all their needs are met in this way.
It should be mentioned that the three main reasons for the formation of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council are: -The Islamic Revolution and the subsequent creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, -The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council member states' fear of the proximity of the Soviet Union, and -Iraqi imposed war against Iran The case is the same, namely the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran survival.
According to this exact point, the most important or the only reason to continue living Persian Gulf Cooperation Council in today's world is a risky illusion of fear of Islamic Republic of Iran.As it was stated as a project of Iran-phobia, this illusion induced by the massive publicity.If Iran becomes a serious threat to countries in the region, and raise the cost of Iran's power in the various countries especially the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council member states increases, and Iran is converted to a potential threat to the country (Shariati Nia, 2010: 193-195).When Arab states of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council believed that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a threat to their security, in this case, the project of Iran-phobia would reach to its goal.The arms race is created between the rich members of Persian Gulf Cooperation Council to gain more military power.The main benefit of increased armament goes to US and European arms manufacturing companies, that at a time when the economic crisis is traversing the whole of Europe, they have their customers always; customers who are under the illusion of threats against Iran weapons that the US and its Western allies have shaped by the media to defend him, and in this way any payments were unquestionable.In fact, Iran-phobia was formed, broadcasted and advertised by making powerful enemies and a serious threat considering the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council once turned the Zionist regime; and brought a replacing hostility to Arabs; an enemy that is far more dangerous than the Zionist regime; and is a closer threat for Persian Gulf Cooperation Council countries in comparison to the Zionist regime; and In fact, in this way the long-term interests of America and the Zionist regime in the Middle East can be provided to protect government funds.In this case, the behavior of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council countries can be more pragmatic approach to the recognition of a new contract.From the perspective of this approach in today's world it can be concluded that countries should not rely only on their individual military capabilities, but real security must also empower its military arms to build alliances and coalitions with other countries and their security, and use this to provide their own security.The behavior of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council members can also be analyzed by this look; Persian Gulf Cooperation Council member states have to conclude that gaining military strength alone can't be effective for defense, that's why the next serious consideration to empower their weapons, the formation of a joint defense organization to protect itself against the threat of Islamic Republic of Iran have been pushing for and the more they have to empower the organization to large purchases of weapons turned defense; Purchases though at odds with the long-term interests in the region, but in terms of the global economic crisis helped to America and Western countries, and European economic cycle track.
From 2006 onwards, Iran's efforts to achieve a peaceful nuclear technology and in addition to increasing threats against the West and in so doing, has created space that the West has intensified the market by an Arab military.
It seems to lack threaten regional security, arms purchase directly following the Persian Gulf states fear Iran project done.Accordingly, between the years 2006-2009, Saudi military cost is about 4/119 billion dollars.Emirates, also at this point, spent about 7/40 billions of dollars to develop its military equipment.Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in its report: UAE between 1999 and 2003, was in the fifteenth rank of the largest importer of weapons in the world.However, in 2008, after China and India, the United Arab Emirates has become the third largest buyer of weapons in the world.While this country, in recent years, and along major arms purchases, has added the fire of its claims to islands.So, in the current situation, seven of the 10 countries that have the highest military expenditure in the Middle East, and presence of 6.5 million individuals in comparison to 300 million, has caused the highest per capita rate of military personal (Rouhani, 2009: 19).So, there is some sort of imbalance between the proportion of the population, area, military and military spending in most member countries of the Cooperation Council (notice table.1).Although it can be increased due to the rise in oil prices too.But the important point is that one of the goals of Iran-phobia is to sell weapons to countries in the region and create economic prosperity for the Western countries, and in this regard, rising oil prices is also robust deriver of this operation.So about $ 26 billion has been sold to Arab states in the United States security in the frame of the security plan in 2006.

Conclusion
It should be noted that the United States and its Western allies with the virtualization power to create an unrealistic picture of the power of competing actors (Iran) and development of capabilities at the same time to increase the actor vulnerabilities; and result of this policy has been to create a virtual image of the threat.The remarkable point is that, Arabic countries and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council countries trying to align with the West, and they imitate their positions; so that some leaders, and also some Arabic media in line with Western allies are trying to spread false news to show Iran as a dangerous country to Arab states.In this context, various regional actors are doing different activities through understanding the threat from their vision that has been the tool of dealing with security threats.Therefore, countries in the region, have established their military strategy in direct relationship with the security components within the structure of regional insecurity.Thus, according to anti-Iranian military purchases their weapons severe at this point has been created; it can't have an excuse except Iran.This is due to purchases and military expenditures Persian Gulf Cooperation Council countries during the last three decades, characterized that the countries' military spending based on their understanding of the threats they set.In this regard, we can say that in the early 80's, the Persian Gulf countries' defense spending was due to the Iran-Iraq war and propaganda against Iran boosted by America.In the late 80's, the economic problems of the country's military spending decreased due to the end of Iran-Iraq war; But in the early 90's, with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and creation of an atmosphere of insecurity in the region, we saw increasing defense spending again.With the events of 11 September, followed by America and its allies attack to Afghanistan and Iraq, and creation of an insecurity atmosphere in the region, we are seeing an increase in military spending.But, the point is that with the fall of Saddam's equipment we saw an increase in military spending in Persian Gulf littoral states too.From the perspective of the United States, Iran considered as a threat against regional security and US tried to instill fear in the region that Iran is a security threat.Hence, these agreements with the United States, their security architecture virtually eclipsed the United States' behavioral framework, and as a result, legitimated their regional presence in the Persian Gulf.Each of these countries in bilateral and multilateral agreements commitments to the security, defense structure and operational partnership has been mutual.Therefore, defending agreements and weapons purchase in one side, for defending these countries, to the principle regional threats, and Iran in its head, at the same time also support these countries in their policies and measures against the Islamic Republic draws.

Table 8 :
weapons in the Middle East