Limitations of the Moderation Discourse in Forming Regional Peace (With Emphasis on Iran and GCC Relations)

The election of Hassan Rouhani as Iran’s president has given rise to the domination
of a new paradigm in the foreign policy arena, namely the moderation discourse. The
research question addresses what moderation means? And, what are the limitations of
the discourse in improving relations with Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
and eventually establishing regional peace and demolishing the violence?
This research, through utilizing the primary and secondary sources, argues that
the moderation discourse is combination of idealism and realism, which balance and
equilibrium form its nodal point. In addition, the research, through combination of
theories of “constructivism” and “regional security complex” states that with regards
to the new geopolitic of the Middle East, political elites of Iran and GCC view each
other as “others” and therefore they enjoy different perceptions regarding regional
security. This has led to security problem, and so each of the states are pursuing
contradictory approaches for establishing regional peace and stability. The following
outcome, with regards to interdependence of the regional security, is increasing of
tensions, competitions, hostility, and eventually boosting violence and disintegration
between these states.