In the early 1980s,the three major strategic forces in the Gulf area(Iran,Iraq and the GCC states,i.e. 1+1+6) formed an unbalanced triangular relationship.Both Iran and Iraq possessed powerful military strength while the GCC states headed by Saudi Arabia had enormous amount of oil dollars.The unbalanced nature of the Gulf’s triangular relationship has resulted in its lack of restraining and checking mechanism.As the ‘oil depot’of the world,the Gulf area occupies strategic position of extreme importance in the global politics and economy,and it is also an area to which the world powers have paid a great deal of attention.Given such circumstances of international relations,the reality of the Gulf’s triangular relationship has determined that once a crisis breaks out,the relatively weaker side will have to seek external assistence,and so internationalize the crisis.Within a rather long period of time in future,the Gulf’s triangular relationship will continue to exist,but its unbalanced state of affairs will not be able to change anyway.Therefore, in case of a crisis it is inevitable that external forces will intervene again in the Gulf’s affairs,thus further complicating the Gulf’s situation.
