Transformation in the Hegemonic Logic of U.S. Foreign Policy in the Persian Gulf: From the Unipolar Order to Multipolar Challenges (1990–2021)

Abstract

This article examines the transformation of the hegemonic logic underlying United States foreign policy in the Persian Gulf region from the early 1990s to 2021. The primary focus of the study is the process of transition from the unipolar order that emerged following the end of the Cold War to the complex and increasingly multipolar framework characterizing recent years. Drawing upon major international relations theories, including hegemonic stability theory and offensive realism, the article analyzes shifts in U.S. policy orientations and investigates the role of domestic, regional, and international factors in redefining Washington’s strategic approaches. The research method is based on qualitative analysis of documentary and scholarly sources. Four key stages in the transformation of American hegemonic logic are examined: consolidation of the unipolar order, redefinition of threats after the September 11 attacks, emergence of signs indicating the erosion of unipolarity, and the beginning of a multilateral engagement trajectory. The findings indicate that U.S. foreign policy in the Persian Gulf has gradually shifted from direct interventionism toward interactive strategies, indirect instruments of influence, and a reconfiguration of regional roles, developments that have had significant implications for the United States’ strategic position and regional order-building processes.