Iran as a Military Threat

Abstract

Iran lacks the resources to acquire a modem military capable of competing with the United States. The bulk of Iranian investments have been made in ballistic missiles and naval forces. There is considerable support in the GCC for the U.S. military presence as a vital deterrent to either Iraqi or Iranian aggression. If the United States is to sustain the political cooperation needed to sustain support for its military forces, Washington needs to consult actively with the GCC countries. The potential threat posed by Iran is a concern for many in the U.S. defense establishment. Its Islamic republic is viewed as a "rogue" regime that is fundamentally hostile to the interests of the United States and its allies. The question, however, is not what are Iran's intentions, but what are its capabilities.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA394360

Entities

People

  • W. S. Carus

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Defense
  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Anti-Ship Missiles
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Boats
  • Cruise Missiles
  • Geography
  • Guided Missiles
  • National Security
  • Persian Gulf
  • Rockets
  • Saudi Arabia
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security
  • Strategic Security Studies