Alliances in the Persian Gulf and the Theory of Balance of Threat

Recent years events in Middle East particularly Persian Gulf have caused serious competition and conflict between Iran and Arabic countries of the Persian Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia. This has caused that some these countries try to form Arabic coalitions and alliances such as joint Arab military force plan (Arab NATO). This intensified competition and conflict that may causes to form some new coalitions can be examined in the framework of the “balance of threats” Stephen Walt. By using descriptive - analytical and data collection of the library, the paper tries to answer this question: what grounds are there for the formation of Arab NATO plan based on the four variables of the Walt’s theory? The results show that the field has been provided for the formation of Arab NATO because to intensifying of the negative aspects of the four main variables power, Neighborhood, aggressive capability and intentions in relations between Iran and Arabic countries such as Saudi Arabia. Arab NATO could causes more being security of Iran. So Iran’s economic development will be faced with new problems. Therefore some actions such as designing of specific policies to prevent the formation of such an alliance and designing of expanded political and economic cooperations with some Arab countries have a common interest with Iran can reduce the risks of Arabic balance of threat against Iran.