Saudi arabia, sudan, bahrain, and djibouti sever diplomatic ties with iran. In 2001, iran and saudi arabia signed a security agreement that formed an important stage in the entire region of the arab gulf, and not just in bilateral relations between iran and saudi arabia. After saudi arabia executed shiite cleric nimr al nimr in january 2016, protesters attacked the saudi embassy in tehran. Jan 04, 2016 saudi arabia has cut diplomatic relations with iran in a sharp escalation of tensions between the two regional foes following the execution of the saudi shia cleric sheikh nimr alnimr. Nov 30, 2017 the latest developments in saudi arabia and lebanon. As a result, saudi arabia severed diplomatic ties with iran. Media in category relations of iran and saudi arabia the following 10 files are in this category, out of 10 total. Either you are looking not pakistan and saudi arabia relations pdf file, but some other pakistan breaking news, then just use search form to find news related to pakistan and saudi arabia relations pdf file. Relations of iran and saudi arabia wikimedia commons. Ib october tensions in iran saudi relations and future prospects 06, 2016 as entities with sound state structure and strong governments, both iran and the kingdom of saudi arabia ksa hold a significant place in the turbulent region of middle east. Irans parliament speaker ali larijani met with emir sheik hamad bin khalifa al thani in qatar.
Relations between iran and saudi arabia should at least after the islamic revolution have seen relations that have seen a lot of landing. New dynamics in the middle east are defining a new chapter in iransaudi relations. The relations between pakistan and iran have seen many prospects of convergence and divergence. While pakistans foreign policy maintains balanced relations with saudi arabia, the united states, and the european union, iran tends to warn against it, and raised concerns about pakistans absolute backing of the taliban during the fourth phase of civil war in afghanistan in the last years of the 20th century.
This is especially important since saudi arabia and iran will be the critical regional players in the wake of a u. The dynamics of future saudi arabianiranian relations in context page 4 of 4. According to najjar, iran seeks to play a prominent role in the security of the persian gulf and the strait of hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly 40 percent of the world markets oil is transported. Relations between iran and saudi arabia have never been at a desirable level. While turkey has sought to maintain strong ties with both iran and saudi arabia, the softening of relations with iran has dealt a significant blow to saudi arabias attempts to form an allied sunni front against iran. One who knows the middle east will ask right away about the third party in that game of nations. Finally, saudi arabia as iran imposed its influence in yemen the year after the houthis began their movement, in alliance. Tehran, it is unlikely that saudi arabia and iran will go far in talking about potential good times. The enmity between iran and saudi arabia is a persistent feature of middle eastern geopolitics. Jun 12, 2014 decade but are also at war with yemens sunni muslim salafis, saudi arabias friends in the country. Despite representing two different branches of islam, there have been continuous diplomatic relations between iran and saudi arabia since 1922 diplomatic relations were frail but were maintained under the shah and the islamic revolution. Second, in early 2016, the saudis executed the prominent shia cleric sheikh nimr alnimr, a saudi citizen an act that sparked a diplomatic firestorm between iran and saudi arabia and forced pakistan to do what it could to mitigate the fallout. Its agile diplomacy backed by credible force has turned russia, at least in the short run, into an indispensable power in the region.
This research asks, what are the nonsectarian sources of contention between saudi arabia and iran. Relations congressional research service 1 overview the kingdom of saudi arabias relations with the united states, the countrys stability, and its future trajectory are subjects of continuing congressional interest. Relations between riyadh and tehran have gradually dete. Turkeys main fear is that iran s acquisition of nuclear arms could lead to a nuclear arms race in the middle east. During the war, relations between iran and saudi arabia thawed considerably and the official ties were restored in 1991. Surveys saudi iranian relations since 2003, focusing on how they have affected and been affected by the major events in the persian gulf and the levant, as well as the implications for u. Pdf study of factors affecting saudiiranian relations and. Library of congress federal research division country profile. Imad kamel harb is a distinguished international affairs fellow with the national council on u. The turbulent history of iransaudi relations world. For the religious rivals, afghanistan is another front in the fight for influence. The organization of islamic cooperation oicwhich represents the entirety of the muslim worldhas traditionally observed a strict policy of neutrality, preferring to resort to closeddoor diplomacy regarding disagreements among its member states. Khatami, a shiite muslim cleric, worked for rapprochement with saudi arabia after winning his first landslide in 1997 and ending two decades of tense relations that followed irans 1979 islamic revolution. Till 1970s era, the two countries exhibited enormously cordial relations.
Madiha afzal explains how saudi arabia has used religious funding in pakistan as part of riyadhs bid to expand its influence in the muslim world, and in its mission to counter iran. Saudi arabia remains publicly neutral, but reportedly makes three of its ports available to ship military equipment to iraq. Iran, may 2008 3 in november 1979, students affiliated with the latter group occupied the u. Part of the international relations commons, and the near and middle eastern studies commons recommended citation grumet, tali rachel, new middle east cold war. In this reading, saudi arabia is content to maintain the current regional order, whereas iran is in its trotskyist stage, seeking to export revolution. From rivalry to nowhere fozia lubna abid ali iran and saudi arabia are the two main powers of the middle east. Regional geopolitical rivalries in the middle east.
Ib pakistans mediation efforts in saudi iranian tensions january 27, 2016 building and maintaining close friendly relations with other muslim states is the cornerstone of pakistans foreign policy. The dynamics of future saudi arabianiranian relations in. Why is there always a tension between saudi arabia and iran. However, both sides are not interested in compromising and resolving them in a peaceful way bartal in mabon, 20. Khatami visited saudi arabia in 1999 on the first visit by an iranian president since the revolution. Since the second world war, washingtons middle east policies have affected the perceptions and behaviours of both countries, and the united states has been present for most, if not all, of the significant developments in their relations. Managing the saudiiran rivalry council on foreign relations. This document is issued on the understanding that if any extract is used, the authors and the lse middle east centre should be credited, with the date of the. The following is a timeline of iran saudi relations since the 1979 revolution.
In 2011, both the us and saudi arabia accuse iran of having plotted the assassination of its ambassador to washington and now foreign minister adel aljubeir. Protesters in tehran hold pictures of shiite cleric sheikh nimr alnimr at a. Saudi arabia blamed iran and banned all political activities during the annual hajj pilgrimage. The kingdom of saudi arabia ksa and the islamic republic of iran are rivals in an.
Identity of irans political system is referred to iranianislamic identity, while saudi arabia has arabicislamic identity. Likewise, 2009 was an important year for iran s nuclear programme. May 27, 2017 relations between iran and pakistan reached their lowest level in the aftermath of islamabads visible tilt towards saudi arabia and the killing of 10 iranian guards in a militant attack at pakistans border last month. All 334 saudi arabia 175 iran 118 houthis 52 us iran relations 46 january 9, 2020, 11. Since 2015, however, the deteriorating saudiiranian relationship has brought forth a new cold. Were it not for the role of the united states, the iran saudi relationship might have gone in a different direction. The iransaudi arabia conflict and its impact on the. In the wake of the first gulf war and the invasion of afghanistan and iraq, moscow feared the growth of u. This is an obvious gap, given the cultural and religious links between these two neighbors that share a 909kilometer border. The outcome is a complex pattern of conflict which the author of this article argues is indeed different from a proxy war.
In relation to the iransaudi arabia conflict, however, the oic openly backed riyadh, which deepened intersectarian rifts within the oic. This study analyzes the saudi iranian struggle for influence in iraq, the persian gulf, lebanon and palestine and its implications for u. Iranian and saudi cultural and religious identities. Pdf usiran relations in the postcold war geopolitical order. Gregory gause iii saudi arabia in the new middle east. The two countries military, diplomatic and politicoeconomic ties date back to the 1960s. Pakistan considers saudi arabia to be a strategic partner because it has always supported pakistan on matters of strategic interest. Saudi arabia and iran have long been rivals in the middle east, but the fall of saddam hussein in 2003 and the ongoing war in iraq have increased tensions between the two states. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. The growing rivalry between saudi arabia and iranand by. Pakistans mediation efforts in saudiiranian tensions. Since islamic revolution 1979 the competition for power, security and regional dominance has resulted in proxy wars in the region, especially, bahrain, lebanon, iraq, syria and yemen.
Not only have the two middle eastern powerhouses regularly. Iran, saudi arabia and qatar or iran and saudi arabia. General bajwas trip to tehran is being viewed as pakistans attempt to keep the tensions from spiraling out of control. May 30, 2016 conflicts in the middle east, whether in iraq, lebanon, syria, or yemen, share a common factor. Keeping iran and saudi arabia from war foreign affairs. Iran s involvement in yemen has been less well documented but no less complex than saudi arabias. Iran, being the first country to recognize creation of pakistan in 1947, has always supported pakistans stance on kashmir issue. The islamic republic of iran and the kingdom of saudi arabia are two rival. Afghanistan stuck between iran and saudi arabia politics. Permission is required from rand to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research. Russia s po l i c y in t h e mi d d l e eas t pr o s p e c. May 29, 2018 in iran, protestors burn part of the saudi embassy in tehran and storm the compound. Kharg island provides a sea port for the export of oil and extends iranian territorial sea claims into the persian gulf oil fields.
Saudi arabia cut off diplomatic relations with iran in the aftermath of the 2016 attack on its embassy in tehran, following riyadhs execution of shia leader nimr alnimr file. Iran viewed the iraqi occupation of kuwait as a serious threat, considering it the first step towards its expansionist mindset. Risky gulf arab strategy tested by killing of soleimani. Policy congressional research service 1 context for heightened u. For years, this rivalry has inflamed violence in areas already torn by war and created new battlefields where there had been relative peace before. Saudi iranian relations, as well as stability in africa. It moved from the stage of diplomatic protocols to the. Pdf relations between iran and saudi arabia have never been at a desirable level. The following is a timeline of iransaudi relations since the 1979 revolution. Saudiiranian tensions economic effects and political. Saudi arabia is an ally to the united states, while syria is an ally to the soviet union and today russia.
Usiran relations in the postcold war geopolitical order. Relations were strained throughout the 1980s, as saudi arabia quietly supported iraq during the iran iraq war. The latest developments in saudi arabia and lebanon. In case of a conflict between muslim states, pakistan has always remained. And the uae downgrades its relations with the islamic republic. Pdf the kingdom of saudi arabia is a major actor in middle eastern as well as global politics.
Before the islamic revolution of 1979, the regime of the shah cooperated clos ely with riyadh in backing the imamate, and had good relations with the british colonial administration that oversaw much of southern yemen until 1967. For saudi arabia, yemens proximity makes it concerned about border security. Relations between saudi arabia and iran have been rocky for the better part of the last century. Saudi arabia with s trong tendency i n the framework of a rab discourse. Pakistan is arguably saudi arabia s most important ally after the us, and iran is seen as the main threat not only to the saudi regional position in the middle east and the persian gulf, but also to the very survival of the saudi regime.
Iran s nuclear program has been a source of strain and divergence in u. The formation of a sunni coalition against houthis in yemen could spark sectarian violence in pakistan and afghanistan. Saudi arabia and iran have long been rivals in the middle east, but the fall of saddam hussein in 2003 and the ongoing war in iraq have increased. This includes iranian support for lebanese hezbollah and saudi support for a. Pakistans approach to navigating the saudiiranian split. While the relationship has for the last fortyodd years witnessed its share of ups and downs, beginning a steep decline following the 1979 revolution in iran and its concomitant regional reverberations, the current climate of hostility is. Iran and saudi arabia have been actively supporting proxy groups fighting on opposite sides in syria. A constructivist interpretation of iran saudi arabia relations.
Since the frontier between saudi arabia and oman had never been demarcated and there was the possibility of discovering oil in the area, in 1952 saudi arabian forces occupied the oasis of alburaymi, which britain felt belonged to oman and the emirate of abu dhabi abu. The most important element of both saudi and iran identities is religion. This report documents a study of saudi iranian relations since 2003. Tensions eased slightly under president akbar hashemi rafsanjani 19891997 and mohammad khatami 19972005, who sought to improve iran s relations. The middle east is today similar to eighteenthcentury europe in that there is a surplus of heavyweight rivals israel, turkey, saudi arabia and iran, each aspiring to be the dominant power. Turkishiranian relations in a changing middle east rand. Saudi arabia is an islamic state ruled by sunnis, while syria is a secular, socialist, arab nationalist state governed by alawis. Iran releases photos from alleged attack on its tanker off saudi coast images from national tanker company show hull of ship purportedly hit by explosions, punctured in two places above the waterline. Iran s 1979 revolution, the fall of saddam hussein in iraq and the arab spring in turn increased the disagreement between the two regional powers. Saudiiranian tensions economic effects and political consequences iranian oil workers on kharg island in the persian gulf, february 2016. For decades, certain interlocking interests and domestic and external limitations have made balance and extreme caution in pakistans relations with saudi arabia and iran and its attitude. However, the differences between the united states and turkey regarding iran s nuclear program are largely over tactics, not strategic goals. Iran s clerical rulers were confronted by a new us president committed to pursuing a new beginning in washingtons relations with tehran and to engaging the regime in a constructive dialogue. Ben hubbard, saudi crown prince likens iran s supreme leader to hitler.
Fpa approach is employed to discuss diplomacy with a focus on saudi and iranian relations with israel and the iran nuclear deal to show how saudi arabia is consistently motivated by power and relative gains while iran is consistently motivated by power, identity, and domestic concerns. Yemen is of particular strategic value for both states. Iran relations have been mostly adversarial since the 1979 islamic revolution in iran. While religion is a factor for the conflict, particularly for iran supporting the shia houthi rebels, this conflict is primarily centralized around yemens strategic value for both iran and saudi arabia. Saudi arabia and iran in yemens civil war further triggered and complicated the already existing tensions in the country. And in what ways do saudi and iranian leaders frame sectarianism. Iranian ambitions do, however, precede the 1979 islamic revolution, as henry kissinger. In response, the saudi government cut diplomatic relations with iran. The war threatens irans position, and saudi arabia and its allies have sided with sunni rebels in part to weaken iran. However, regional successes have also had a downside. Iran is also helping yemens southern secessionists by supplying weapons through lebanons hezbollah. Find all latest pakistan and saudi arabia relations pdf file news, pakistan and world pakistan and saudi arabia relations pdf file news according to your request on any date you need. Tensions in iransaudi relations and future prospects.
Pdf the end of the cold war era coincided with the beginning of a shift irans foreign policy from the ideological to the pragmatic. Study of iransaudi relations in the persian gulf region within the. Demonstrators try to attack the saudi consulate in mashhad. In retaliation, angry mobs in tehran ransacked the saudi embassy. Saudi arabia strongly supported pakistan in its wars with india in 1965 and 1971.
Relations between saudi arabia and the islamic republic of iran are arguably at an alltime low. Managing the saudiiran rivalry, council on foreign relations. Iran has a large population and a long history of nationhood, while saudi arabia holds significant oil reserves and is custodian of islams holiest sites. Saudi iranian tensions economic effects and political consequences iranian oil workers on kharg island in the persian gulf, february 2016. Pakistan is the key to better iran and saudi arabia relations. The author, while assuming that the islamic awakening has undermined saudi arabias regional status and in contrast has enhanced that of iran, argues that saudi arabia has adopted a balancing policy against iran in dealing with this problem. The security dilemma in saudiiranian relations mohamed bin. This paper traces the evolution of iran pakistan relations and argues that the politicostrategic. The dynamics of future saudi arabianiranian relations in context. For its part, the united states is unhappy with the saudi intervention in bahrain and saudi support for radical islamists around the region and the world. The growing rivalry between saudi arabia and iranand by extension, their allies and proxy forces in the regionwill likely shape the middle east for many years, and possibly even. Iran is looking to expand its presence in west africa through the formation of further hezbollahstyled ideological proxy groups. Jan 04, 2018 another turbulent year in the middle east has drawn to a close, but there will be no respite in 2018 from the regional chaos that is underpinned by the inflamed rivalry of saudi arabia and iran. However, the beginnings of a rapprochement never truly took root.
But no other reason more important to saudi arabia than syrian alliance with iran. Between 2008 and 2009, they infiltrated saudi arabia and fought its forces in bloody battles in which tens of saudi arabian soldiers died. The security dilemma in saudiiranian relations mohamed. Military, diplomatic and economic victories have come with costs which in turn militate against russias. Saudi arabia cuts diplomatic ties with iran after execution. Summary key points saudi arabia and its gulf allies have distanced the horn of africa from iran through financial incentives. For years iranian forces have been involved on the ground, with soldiers in islamic revolutionary guards corps facing heavy casualties. Neither of these states can easily continue their attitudes and behaviors in regards to international relations. New lows hassan rouhani becomes iran s president and there is renewed hope for the normalisation of relations. Irans 1979 revolution, the fall of saddam hussein in iraq and the. Since its inception in 1932, saudi arabia has sought to participate in alliances and coalitions to magnify its regional clout.
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