Abstract
Islamic republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia are identified as two effective countries in sub-region of the Persian Gulf, that the radius of their influence covers whole great region of the Middle East. The relationship between the two countries have been full of tension during last decade, and during this period changes of political authorities of these countries were not able to improve this relationship. The cause is the resources of foreign policy behavior of the two countries, historical backgrounds of each country, as well as conflict of interest of each in the region of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. The most competition atmosphere between the two countries is inside the three climacteric countries of Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Accordingly, the prospect of bilateral relations is a consequence of their behaviors in the region and also their dealings with these three countries. Three scenarios presented regarding the two countries' foreign policy in the region can be discussed: efforts to establish governments, attempts to maintain political structures of collapsing countries, and finally, continuation of current trends that may lead to disintegration of these climacteric countries. By studying these scenarios and drivers, blockers and their wild cards, this paper considers the second scenario best for both countries, which is consistent with their national interests, and with the region’s history and general situation.
Highlights
Iran and Saudi Arabia are considered to be two major effective countries in the region of the Persian Gulf; so that improvement or tension in their relationships, affects the region of the Persian Gulf severely, and the range their spheres of influence expands from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Middle Asia, and the Caucasus to the east of Mediterranean and north of Africa
The most important issue in setting the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia depended on Iraq, but today, the issue of Syria in addition to the issue of Iraq, nuclear program of the Islamic Republic and future of relationship between Iran and the United States are identified as four axes forming the plausible scenarios of the future of the relationship between the two countries
In reviewing historical periods of the relationship between the two countries, the current situation has a specific property, this period is neither like the period of war that the issue of survival was raised for countries of the region, nor similar to the period of Hashemi Rafsanjani that the need to reconstruction had concentrated the attentions to domestic environment, neither like the period of Khatami that Iran was only following the improvements of relationships and changing the face of revolutionary country in the abroad, nor similar to the period of Ahmadinejhad that it was seeking for redefining the regional security environment; yet in current situation Iran is pursuing all aforementioned issues simultaneously
Summary
Iran and Saudi Arabia are considered to be two major effective countries in the region of the Persian Gulf; so that improvement or tension in their relationships, affects the region of the Persian Gulf severely, and the range their spheres of influence expands from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Middle Asia, and the Caucasus to the east of Mediterranean and north of Africa. “In terms of regional affairs, the regional radical leaders such as Naser, Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi blamed Saudi leaders to take part in the continuous presence and increase of the power of Israel by its alliance with the United State, which is considered to be the main economic and military supporter of Israel” (Behjat, 2010, p226) In lieu of this kind of cooperation, Saudi Arabia believes that “In Islam, Christians and Jews are called “People of the Book”. We will see that these behavior resources in the foreign policies of the two countries were efficient, and have reached a desirable result
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