Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the Middle East (DHP-H263)

Spring 2026 · DHP H263 · Tufts University · 3 credits · Undergraduate

This graduate class examines the evolving security dynamics of the Persian Gulf relations at the crossroads of theory and practice. Located at the heart of the Middle East, the Persian Gulf is one of the most strategically consequential regions in world politics: a hub of global energy supply, a theater of great-power competition, a laboratory of political Islam, authoritarian resilience, and rapid socio-economic-technological transformation. Focusing on Iran and the GCC (comprised of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman), the course engages both theoretical debates in international relations and policy challenges facing regional and external actors. It also integrates historical analysis, theoretical perspectives, and empirical case studies to understand the interplay of geopolitics, ideology, geoeconomic, and security dilemmas in the middle of rising U.S. and Chinese competition. Students will explore how historical junctures, including the Iranian Revolution, the Persian Gulf Wars and the Arab Spring, reshaped regional alignments, and how contemporary issues, including nuclear negotiations, proxy wars, maritime security, energy security and the geopolitics of digital and infrastructural corridors, continue to test the boundaries of sovereignty and power. The class bridges scholarly analysis and policy practice: readings combine academic works with think-tank reports, while assignments cultivate analytical writing and collaborative skills essential for careers in diplomacy, strategy, and policy analysis with a specific focus on the Middle East.

Course codes: DHP-H263

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