Carter Doctrine

The Carter Doctrine was a policy that was announced by former United States president Jimmy Carter in 1980. The policy declared that the United States would use military force if necessary to defend its interests in the Persian Gulf. This was meant to protect the United States’ access to Middle Eastern oil and to ensure that other countries in the region didn't try to take control of the oil-producing nations. This idea was put into place to make sure that the United States would not have to rely on other countries for oil and would have safe access to energy resources.