University of Tehran Published jointly with Iranian World Studies Association Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies 2588-3119 3 1 2019 01 01 Iran and Security Complex in the Persian Gulf 45 73 72807 10.22059/wsps.2019.276060.1094 EN Fatemeh Shayan Assistant Professor of Political Sciences and International Relations, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran 0000-0001-9219-871X Journal Article 2018 08 13 This article enters into the debate on the link between security and identity by looking at the security context in the states surrounding the Persian Gulf, particularly Iran. Earlier scholarly works have approached security and identity<br />separately, but lack a framework that connects them in a single account. The process tracing method offers a scientific approach to connect various notions in a single study, allowing the synthesis of diverse disciplines to establish links<br />connecting them. Applying the method to the current security and identity issues of the regional states with Jundallah _a terrorist group in the eastern border of Iran_ has established a link between them and has thus enriched the current<br />studies of the region. The main findings are that the Persian Gulf region is a heterogeneous security complex with diverse actors wielding power, and that societal threats have increased since the 2003 Iraq War. Since that year, a conflictual security complex has predominated in the region, which has destabilized the region more than before. https://wsps.ut.ac.ir/article_72807_ef0f44555e017be7fcb7e14b3118ee71.pdf