Abstract
The contemporary Middle East’s strategic culture is premised on conflicting historical legacies that are heavily influenced by multidimensional security issues. Iran’s fixation with its historical, ancient civilization fixation, grandeur and Shia religious philosophy and on the other hand, Arab states’ Sunni version of Islam has further deepened the religious-sectarian divide in Middle East. The Sunni Arab states are led by Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other Middle Eastern states that are vying for the regional dominance. This has motivated Iran to gain indigenous military and technological capabilities in the realm of conventional, ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. Iran is a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but, it had breached its guidelines and gained full nuclear-fuel cycle capability without disclosing it to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Moreover, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed between the P-5+1 and Iran, which now in the perspective of Trump Administration have many loopholes. Presently, the Arab Sunni states and Washington are demanding amendment of the treaty. Furthermore, the regional proxy conflicts stretching right from Syria to Yemen and Bahrain are furthermore aggravating the security structure of the entire Middle East. In addition, the religious-sectarian and cultural divide has created a dangerous fault-line that is being fuelled by the regional/extra-regional states and the Non-State Actors (NSAs).