Investigating effective factors in de-escalation in relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia

Mousavi, Seyed Mohammadreza; Jafari Far, Ehsan

Investigating effective factors in de-escalation in relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

seyed mohammadreza mousavi ¹

ehsan jafari far ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah, Iran

² PhD in International Relations, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Throughout history, the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia has had ups and downs, from cooperation and peaceful competition to hostility and severance of relations. Political, geopolitical, ideological factors and different views on regional issues have been among the most important influencing factors in the relations between the two countries, and the reflection of this conflict beyond bilateral relations has also been manifested on the approach of other countries, policies and regional developments. With the severing of relations between the two countries since 2016, the competition and conflict between the two countries increased, but finally, in a process of decreasing tension, with the mediation of China, in 2023, the de-tension approach was put on the agenda. Therefore, it is important to investigate the process of de-escalation of the relations between the two countries in this research. The main question is, what were the effective factors in de-escalating the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia? The framework of constructivist theory has been used to investigate the issue of de-tension. The findings of the research showed that the de-escalation of the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia was influenced by the change in the perception of the two actors towards various issues, which was influenced by the change in the perception in the regional order, which was due to the ineffectiveness of the confrontation system between the two countries in the region, the decline of American policies and the strengthening of China's role in the region refers; On the other hand, there has been a change in perception towards the strategic environment, which has moved the security equation of the two countries towards a win-win game with an algebraic sum of zero, and finally, the redefinition of national interests to prioritize internal development and bypass regional militarism policies.

Keywords

De-escalation

security

Iran

Saudi Arabia

structuralism

Subjects

Topics related to the Islamic Revolution

Ahmadi Dawzad-e-Emami, Farzad (1400), Study and Analysis of Conflict Spaces between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Senior Thesis in Political Geography, Tarbiat Modares University, Advisor Professor Dr. Mohammad Reza Hafeznia
Asadi, Ali Akbar (1398), The Role of Saudi Arabia in Securitizing Iran; Strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Strategic Studies Quarterly, Year 22, Issue 3, pp. 106-87
Esmaeilzadeh, Mohammad; Pour Ebrahim, Ahmad (1400), Comparative Approach of Iranian and Saudi Foreign Policy to Developments in the Middle East with a Look at Takfiri Currents, Year 2, Issue 7, Spring 1400, pp. 51-27
Bagheri Dolatabadi, Ali (1401), Reasons for the Prolongation of the De-escalation Negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia Based on Christopher Hill's Theory, Political Studies of the Islamic World, Volume 11, Issue 3, pp. 96-71
Bagheri, Mohsen; Omidi, Ali; Yazdani, Enayatollah (1400), The Impact of the Resistance Axis on the Strategic Depth of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Quarterly Journal of Islamic World Studies, Volume 10, Issue 2, Summer 1400, pp. 66-92
Borzummehri, Majid; Naghajani, Somayeh; Afshar, Maryam (1398), The Alignment of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation with Saudi Arabia to Confront Iran in the Yemen Crisis (2015-2019), Journal of Political Science, Winter 1398 - Issue 57, pp. 33-74
Bahadorkhani, Mohammad Reza; Mousavi, Seyyed Mohammad Reza; Cheher Azad, Saeed (2019), Comparison of the Foreign Policy of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Middle East, Year 1, Issue 1, Fall 2019, pp. 35-70
Pour Dast, Zahra (2011), The Effect of the Systemic Cycle of Power on the Inefficiency of the Regional Arms Control and Disarmament Regime in the Middle East, Senior Thesis, Shiraz University, Supervisor: Dr. Farhad Ghasemi
Jafarifar, Ehsan; Dadgostar, Hadi (2012), America's Economic War Against China with Emphasis on Constructivism Theory, Quarterly Journal of Political Strategy, Year 6, Issue 3, PAPI 99, Fall 2012, pp. 29-50
Haji Yousefi, Amir Mohammad; Nahzatpour, Seyed Mir Agha (1400), A Comparative Study of Saudi Arabia and Iran's Foreign Policy in the Syrian Crisis, Quarterly Journal of Political Interpretation, Year 3, Issue 4, Spring 1400, pp. 134-108
Rahmdel, Reza; Simber, Reza; Jansiz, Ahmad (1398), A Structural Analysis of the Iran-Saudi Arabia Conflict, Strategic Studies of Public Policy, Volume 9, Issue 30, June 1398, pp. 265-281
Rekabian, Rashid; Angzi, Rasoul (1400), The Impact of Convergence and Divergence of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia on the Foreign Policy of the US Government Towards Iran (with Emphasis on Media Strategies), Journal of International Media Research, Year 6, Issue 2, Fall and Winter 1400, pp. 204-179
Sadeghi, Seyed Shams al-Din; Lotfi, Kamran (2016), The Yemeni Crisis: The Geopolitical Controversy Between the Axis of Conservatism and the Axis of Islamic Resistance, World Politics, Spring 2016, Issue 15, pp. 45-80
Zarghami, Barzin; Shushtari, Seyyed Mohammad Javad; Ansarizadeh, Salman (2014), Shiite Geopolitics or Shiite Crescent (Principles, Goals and Approaches), Human Geography Research, Volume 46, Issue 1, Spring 2014, pp. 197-214
Eziri, Vahid; Lasjerdi, Hassan (2013), Saudi Arabia's Capacity for Regional Peace (With Emphasis on the Agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia), Encyclopedia of Political Sciences Quarterly, Year 3, Issue 9, Spring 2013, pp. 1-31
Eziri, Vahid; Haj Zargarbashi, Seyyed Roohollah (1402), Smart Power and Improving Iran's Regional Position in West Asia, Quarterly Journal of Political Interpretation, 1402 Spring, 15th Issue, 5th, pp. 88-53
Maleh Mir, Ahmad (1390), The Impact of the Security and Strategic Environment of the Persian Gulf on the Deterrence System of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Senior Thesis, Shiraz University, Supervisor: Dr. Farhad Ghasemi
Motaghi, Afshin (1393), Analysis of the Grounds of Inconsistency in Iran-Arab Relations Based on Structuralism Theory, Quarterly Journal of Strategic Policy Research, Year 3, Issue 12, pp. 141-161
Mohaqq, Mohammad Hassan (1396), Opportunities and Threats of Regionalism in West Asia after the War and Presentation of Strategies, Senior Thesis in Political Science, Al-Satafa Al-Alamiyah Society Institute, Supervisor: Dr. Mohammad Sotoudeh
Mohajer, Mohammad Amin (1400), Review Military Balance in the Middle East Arms Race: A Case Study of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, Senior Thesis, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Supervisor: Dr. Shirzad Azad
Carnegieendowment. (2023). Riyadh’s Motivations Behind the Saudi-Iran Deal: https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/03/30/riyadh-s-motivations-behind-saudi-iran-deal-pub-89421
Country.eiu. (2023). Saudi-Iranian deal could de-escalate regional tensions: https://country.eiu.com/article.aspx?articleid=1592871142&Country=Saudi+Arabia&topic=Politics&sub_1
Davies, D. (2022). The international system and the Syrian civil war: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00471178221097908
Divsallar, A., & Hesham, A. (2023). The Strategic Calculus behind the Saudi-Iranian Agreement: https://www.thecairoreview.com/essays/the-strategic-calculus-behind-the-saudi-iranian-agreement/
Gering, T. (2023). Full throttle in neutral: China's new security architecture for the Middle East: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/full-throttle-in-neutral-chinas-new-security-architecture-for-the-middle-east/
Hadzikadunic, E. (2019). Insight 215: Iran–Saudi Ties: Can History Project Their Trajectory?: https://mei.nus.edu.sg/publication/insight-215-iran-saudi-ties-can-history-project-their-trajectory/
Hadzikadunic, E. (2019). Insight 215: Iran–Saudi Ties: Can History Project Their Trajectory?: https://mei.nus.edu.sg/publication/insight-215-iran-saudi-ties-can-history-project-their-trajectory/
Hamzawy, A. (2023). How Do Carnegie Scholars Interpret the Impact of the Saudi-Iranian Deal on Their Area of Interest