CIRCUMVENTING THE MIDDLE EAST CHOKEPOINTS

This book examines the impact of chokepoints in Middle East geopolitics. In the last few years, as the number of conflicts and political tensions in the Arab world and countries surrounding the Gulf has increased, chokepoints as a tactic to hinder the 'enemy' have become more prominent. To evade the chance of getting 'choked', regional actors with the support of extra-regional countries are investing in new port infrastructures such as at Duqm, Gwadar and Chabahar. This book investigates the geopolitical significance of old, new and under-construction seaports in the Middle East region. The book intends to answer the following questions:

Contents:
Chokepoints and Strait of Hormuz:Maritime Chokepoints and Ocean Infrastructures in Asia: Strategic Cooperation, Geostrategic Contests, and Vulnerabilities (Amit Ranjan)Comparative Strategies of the US, China, and India on the Strait of Hormuz (Asif Shuja)Russia in the Persian Gulf (Nigel Li and Roger Kangas)Ports of Duqm, Gwadar and Chabahar:A Chokepoint of Asymmetric and Complex Rivalry: The Port of Duqm (Gürol Baba)Gwadar: Geopolitics, Development, and Social Change in a Strategic Port City (Atha Tahir)Chabahar: Geoeconomic Hopes and Geopolitical Games (Deepika Saraswat)Regional and External Dynamics:The Strait of Hormuz and Iran's Active Deterrence Strategy (Alam Saleh and Zakiyeh Yazdanshenas)Comparing UAE and Oman Beyond Hormuz Security Strategies (Eleonora Ardemagni)The People's Republic of China Strategic Imperatives in Oman's Port of Duqm (Mohammed Al-Hajri)
Readership: Researchers, academics, and students focusing on Asia, particularly South Asia and the Middle East, and on geopolitics and chokepoints in international affairs. Journalists and readers interested in Asian affairs, strategic studies, and chokepoint politics.

Amit Ranjan is a Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore. His latest book is Migration, Memories and the 'Unfinished' Partition (Routledge, London, 2024). Amit's papers, review essays and book reviews have been widely published in journals, including Asian Survey, India Review and Roundtable: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs.Asif Shuja is Director of Geopoconsult, a geopolitics management consultancy based in Dubai. He was formerly a Senior Research Fellow with the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore. Dr Shuja is a geopolitical analyst specializing in Middle East Domain and Energy Sector. He renders consultancy services in public and private settings.