Conflict or Cooperation? Assessing Security Architectures and Power Dynamics in the Indian Ocean

Abstract

This paper examines the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as a potential area for international cooperation or as a source of international tension. In the twenty-first century, IOR has become the focal point of geostrategic struggle. The overlap of global and regional interests from rival states triggers both conflict and cooperation. The Indian Ocean, which encompasses a few of the busiest trade routes, energy transfer avenues, and critical chokepoints, is key to international economy and sea lanes security. (Smith, 2020). Simultaneously, the area witnesses increasing naval presence in form of rising maritime rivalries, particularly military confrontations between India and China alongside evolving regional security structures. Through multi-systemic exploration of military-strategic regional alliances, security architectures, and tension-prone areas, this research rests on the hypothesis that the Indian Ocean is an evolving contested geopolitical theater rather than a collaborative zone. Upon further investigation it was found that while concealed wars, conflict of interest, and imbalanced world order prevail over the region, the prospects for international cooperation and counter-strategic policies to oppose prevailing competition provide equilibrium, thus subverting conflict to alliance. The area is certainly sensitive to strategic conflict, however, undermining anger with multilaterals could lead to fostering peace, making this understanding critical when formulating sea policies and maintaining stability. (World Bank, 2019)