Introduction
The UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which comprises the Gulf Arab States, have gained the opportunity to stop Iran’s Ballistic Missile and Rocket Capabilities because Iran is immune to matters that relate to international opinion and weapon suppliers’ sensitivities (Naheem, 2017, 268)
Background
There has been a great emphasis on the asymmetry in the procurement of defense and spending in the region. Most of the countries within the Arab States in the Gulf regions are the highest purchasers of firearms. They have the most potent forces, which are mostly prepared with modern equipment. There has been increasing conflict between Iran and the GCC, which has reached a heightened military dimension. Iran is prospering because of uranium mining, which is giving it the ability to produce nuclear weapons.
On the other hand, the GCC states also purchase more advanced and conventional weapons in larger amounts. Iran is becoming a threat to most of the Gulf Arab States. With cooperation with other states, UAE should work to ensure that they are addressing this safety threat. Iran is a country that started to sponsor the Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorist groups in the 20th century (Naheem 2017, 271). It has applied a lot of military force to the GCC economic targets.
Iran has been a country that has established various capabilities in the use of ballistic missiles and rockets. It has continually targeted innocent people and significant economic infrastructure. It also has broader access to weapons and air forces to make sure they are striking the neighboring states. Countering Iran remains to be a big issue. Therefore, as the UAE states, we must take the responsibility and apply various strategies to support other GCC states and the USA in fighting Iran’s Ballistic Missile and Rocket Capabilities (Naheem 2017, 269) It is an important issue to the UAE’s national security because it will significantly help them make informed decisions by identifying the proper strategies. The next concern is discussing a comprehensive approach which will be expressed through various options. The objectives of the policy are to strengthen the national security and the general GCC states.
Option One: Developing a Joint Air Defense System
Before starting on any strategy and option for countering Iran’s Ballistic Missile and Rocket Capabilities, the UAE should first strengthen its national security, by proposing a joint air defense system. It is of no importance to directly engage with other GCC states while the home country is still suffering from weak patrol services on the borders (Bahgat 2016, 90). Basing that Iran targets people and significant infrastructures of the nations, having strong air forces to attack the neighboring states, the UAE can still be affected. It is essential to start the strategies from the home country and cooperate with the GCC states to make sure that they effectively counter Iran. The Ministry of Internals should seek to increase the number of forces in the country and the national recruitment days to increase military power availability within the country.
PROS:
- Improves national security and allows the UAE to engage with other GCC states effectively.
- It helps in providing immediate response when Iran tries to invade the territories without their consent. The UAE is one of the GCC members, which means that it has allies that will support strengthening security in the country. A combined air force defense will ensure maximum security.
- Helps the UAE to achieve its security goals as a more strategic approach will be developed.
CONS:
- It consumes a lot of costs through the process of purchasing equipment and recruitment among the military.
Option Two: Working with Israel to Build on Iron Dome
Primary offensive weapons should be distributed to the GCC states to be equipped with enough facilities to fight against Iran. The iron dome is a sky hunter missile which is classified as one of the offensive weapons. There are various reasons for distributing primary offensive weapons to such conditions (Eslami, 2021, 12). The first one is that the offensive weapons will assist the GCC states in fighting against Iran, which has low-level aggression in any conflicts they are starting (Dalton, 2021, 7). For the UAE, more challenging training should be provided to the military forces to ensure they can use such weapons.
For instance, the offensive weapons involve using a global positioning system (GPS), which are guided bombs that allow for striking any exports and import facilities that Iran is trying to purchase. In addition, there should be more counter-air defense systems that will assist in countering the exportation and importation (Roberts, 2020, 303). Similarly, when Iran is planning to counter the GCC states to spoil them, the offensive weapons will play a crucial role in limiting the damages that may be caused (Brookes, 2020, 3). When GCC states get offensive weapons, it does not imply that they will adequately counter Iran.
PROS:
- It will help strengthen the UAE and other GCC states’ security by empowering them with potent weapons.
- The cooperation with other states such as Iran will improve the ability to counter Iran.
- It will assist the ally US to defend the vital energy on a larger scale.
- It will also establish robust international control through establishing a nuclear program among the GCC member states.
CONS:
- The monies spent on purchasing such equipment are so high, implying that the UAE will have to strain some of its economic resources.
- It will negatively impact regional stability and weaken the culture against the proliferation of weapons.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The UAE should impress the application of such policies to protect the country and its central infrastructure. In most circumstances, security issues are becoming a matter of national attention. Iran’s ballistic missile and rocket capabilities are a significant threat to all the GCC states because they can cause damage. This particular case is the broader access of Iran to ballistic missiles and its rocket capabilities. It should be known that Iran is the biggest rival, and as a reason, it may cause a lot of negative impacts on the UAE as a nation. Two significant policies, one strengthening the border security through funding and recruitment from the government and two, selling primary offensive weapons to GCC states, can eradicate the concurring of Iran’s ballistic missiles and rocket capabilities.
The recommended policy for this particular case is that UAE should increase its international relations guidelines. Some countries such as Iran should be highly restricted and increase their ally with states such as the United States and Israel. The UAE should pass an approach that should not engage any form of international interaction with the state. The benefit of such a policy is that it will ensure it limits Iran’s access to the UAE. They will have no business and hence be considered illegal when trying to attack the UAE. The other benefit is that it will allow the country to focus on its military by cooperating with the GCC.
Bibliography
Bahgat, Gawdat, and Anoushiravan Ehteshami. 2016 “Iran’s Defense Strategy: The Navy, Ballistic Missiles and Cyberspace” Middle East Policy 89-103. doi: 10.1111/mepo.12292
Brookes, P., 2020. Iran’s Extensive Cruise Missile Program Requires US Action.Backgrounder, 3460. 1-25.
Dalton, Melissa, and Hijab Shah. 2021. “Evolving UAE Military and Foreign Security Cooperation: Path Toward Military Professionalism.”
Eslami, Mohammad, and Alena Vysotskaya Guedes Vieira. 2021 “Iran’s Strategic Culture: The ‘Revolutionary’ and ‘Moderation’ Narratives on the Ballistic Missile Program.” Third World Quarterly: 1-17. doi: 10.1080/01436597.2020.1813562
Naheem, Mohammed Ahmad. 2017 “The Dramatic Rift and Crisis between Qatar and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2017” International Journal of Disclosure and Governance 14: 265-277. doi: 10.1057/s41310-017-0025-8
Roberts, David B. 2020 “Bucking the Trend: The UAE and the Development of Military Capabilities in the Arab World.” Security Studies 29: 301-334.