Persian – Arabic Gulf: Old Conflicts, New Solutions: The Convention of the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea

The area of the Gulf is synonymous not onlyto the huge amount of resources but also to the fact that it resembles to the setting of inexorable disputes and fights. The disputes in the Gulf emanate from various reasons, namely religious, factious, national and racial. Undoubtedly, disputes over sovereignty, boarders and resources have human, economic, environmental and cultural cost. It may be suggested that the evolution and the continuity of such disputes in the region mainly consists an effect of a perpetual quest for power and resources. Iran consists one of the fundamental powers in the region, which attempts to establish its terms and status quo. At the same time the Caspian Sea tends to provide rich resources to Iran as well. However, are these resources enough to render Iran regional hegemony? The present study examines this scenario in light of the newly adopted Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea between the five littoral states

The Complexity of the Caspian Basin

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of newly independent States marked the uprising of a new era in the region of the Caspian Basin. Failing to reach a consensus regarding the legal nature of the Caspian, Russia, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan’s policies have been characterized by a perpetual pursuit of establishing themselves as key-role agents in the region. The question about “Lake or Sea” is yet to be answered after many decades. This paper focuses on analyzing the significance of the Caspian Basin for the littoral States and how it determines their political agenda