The Persian Gulf has always been the center of great power competition, and the United States has been the dominant hegemon of this region since World War II, with the establishment of military bases and security pacts. However, now there are signs of America's relative decline, which are rooted in the transition to a multipolar system, the emergence of China and Russia, America's failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, the decline in the trust of traditional allies, the increase in Iran's deterrence, and the transformation in the world's energy equations. The present study, with the aim of formulating the strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran against this decline in hegemony, answers the question of what intelligent strategy Iran can use to consolidate its position as the architect of the new security order of the Persian Gulf, while maintaining national security.



This applied-developmental research was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method and a mixed approach (qualitative-quantitative) between 2013 and 2015. Data were collected from 40 experts through a researcher-made questionnaire, and its validity and reliability were confirmed. The findings showed that 35 factors in five components (macrostrategic, security-defense, political-diplomatic, socio-cultural, and economic) are effective in reducing US hegemony, and 10 opportunities and 8 threats were identified. Finally, 10 sub-strategies and then the main strategy of “smart transition from mere deterrence to sustainable cooperative regional order” were formulated based on active deterrence, multifaceted diplomacy, and endogenous development.