Abstract:

Abstract enIt seems that Britain, which has long been effective in the Middle East, started to gradually withdraw from the region after the Second World War. The British Government took decision to leave the Persian Gulf  in the end of the 1960s, due to some reasons, especially economic crisis. According to some, this withdrawal, which is the result of a conscientious process, brings with it a serious power vacuum in the Gulf. Concerned that the Soviet Union, which planned to be effective in  the Gulf, would fill this void, the United States administration encouraged the two major powers of the Gulf, Iran and Saudi Arabia, to cooperate against Soviet Communist threat.  This cooperation and security policy has been implemented in the region under the name of the "Twin Pillars" policy.This security policy, which was put into effect during President Nixon's era, aimed to provide security of the regional countries  by selling weapons to these countries. The "Twin Pillars" policy was maintained during the American Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.This study aims to discuss the process leading to the "Twin Pillars" policy,  the changing perception of President Nixon's foreign policy towards the Gulf region and finally the policy of the "Twin Pillars" policy. In addition, the role of Iran in the Gulf security which constitutes a significant part of this policy, the breakdowns in the “Twin Pillars” policy , how this policy works during the period of President Ford and President Carter,  and the process of arms deployment to the region will be examined.

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