The Abraham Accords and the regional security of the Persian Gulf

Abstract

The regional security of the Persian Gulf has always stood at the intersection of geopolitical rivalries, interventions by extra-regional powers, and ideological tensions among key actors. This security dynamic has led to the emergence of diverse approaches for crisis management and establishing stability, among which one of the most notable is the Abraham Accords between the Zionist regime and several Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region. This study, using library-based tools and note-taking for data collection, along with a descriptive-analytical method and qualitative content analysis for data analysis, and also drawing on the Copenhagen School of security studies, seeks to answer this question: What is the role of the Abraham Accords in the regional security of the Persian Gulf? The findings indicate that the Abraham Accords, by providing a framework for the normalization of relations between Israel and some Arab countries bordering the Persian Gulf, have in a way initiated fundamental transformations in the security structure of this region. This agreement has facilitated Israel’s military, intelligence, and security penetration into the geopolitical domain of the Persian Gulf and, as a result, disrupted the traditional balance of power in the region. Such a change has not only increased the dependency of Arab countries on extra-regional actors like Israel, but has also laid the groundwork for an arms race and intensified strategic confrontations between conflicting axes. Furthermore, the aforementioned accord has deepened the ideological and political rifts among Islamic countries—particularly on the issue of Palestine—and has destabilized the prior consensus regarding the Palestinian cause. This situation has further threatened regional cohesion and exposed the Persian Gulf’s security to even more complex challenges.