Radicalism and radicalisation within the new Cold War in the Persian Gulf. A view from Tehran

There are different levels of radicalisation and so different ways to promote a radical discourse. Al-Qāʿida or Da'ish groups relied on individuals to carry on their deadly projects. Anyway, radicalisation is not an exclusive prerogative of non-State actors, also Governments and Nation States use strategies aimed at reinforcing their political discourse and to strengthen ideas and ideals through radicalisation strategies. This is the case of the Saudi-Iran rivalry, in which the ideological discourse acquired some radical aspects in terms of doctrine, propaganda, politics and activities. These actions do not convert into a direct clash between the two geopolitical regional powers, but into a war by proxy, in a broader strategy which recalls the methods, the approaches and the policies put into action during the Cold War, rendering the Persian Gulf a new epicentre of for a new Cold War.