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ORSAM REVIEW OFORSAM REVIEW OF REGIONAL AFFAIRS

No.38, JANUARY 2016


REGIONAL AFFAIRS
No.38, JANUARY 2016

Iran-Saudi Arabia
Tension Between
Conflict of National
Interests and Sectarian
Polarization
Pınar Arıkan

Pınar Arıkan graduated from


METU International Relations The chain of events that has started with the execu-
in 2003 and started to work as tion of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr on 2 January 2016 by
a research assistant at the same Saudi Arabia led Iran to cut its diplomatic relations
department in 2004. She received with Saudi Arabia and made a tremendous impact on
her master’s degree in 2006 with her
thesis titled “Uneasy Coexistence:
world public opinion as ‘Iran-Saudi Arabia tension’.
Islamism vs. Republicanism Debate Together with the involvement of Bahrain, Sudan,
in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, Djibouti, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar in
and her PhD degree in 2015 with the Saudi protest against Iran, the ‘Iran-Saudi Arabia
her dissertation titled “Discursive tension’ has been interpreted by many others as the
Continuity of Political Nationalism
as a Form of Opposition Politics
escalation of the Sunni-Shi’ite conflict in the Middle
in Modern Iran”. She was as a East. The questions about the sources of the tension,
visiting researcher at the University whether it were the conflict of national interests or
of Tehran, the Faculty of Law and the sectarian polarization, and the possibility that the
Political Science in 2010-2011, at sectarian polarization, which had appeared within the
the Columbia University in New context of civil wars and conflicts in the region, might
York in 2012-2013. Her research
interests include the state-society
be deepened by the current tension were the mostly
relations in Iran, Iranian domestic discussed ones. In this policy brief, it is asserted that
politics, political system and groups, Iran and Saudi Arabia are in a state of geopolitical
Iranian foreign policy and the and ideological rivalry, but this rivalry cannot be in-
international relations of the Middle terpreted as the polarization of sectarian differences.
East.
Iran-Saudi Arabia Tension Between Conflict of
National Interests and Sectarian Polarization

T
he chain of events future was whether the tension
that has started with between Saudi Arabia and Iran
the execution of after the execution of al-Nimr
Shi’ite scholar Sheikh Nimr would deepen the regional
al-Nimr’s death sentence by sectarian polarization, which
Saudi Arabia on 2 January had appeared within the con-
2016 together with 46 people text of civil wars and conflicts
and continued with setting in the region. This short essay
the Saudi Arabia’s Consulate tries to answer these questions
in Mashhad and Embassy in following a brief discussion of
Tehran on fire by the demon- the course of relations between
strators in protest of the exe- Iran and Saudi Arabia until to-
cution that led Saudi Arabia day.
to cut its diplomatic relations Iran and Saudi Arabia are
with Iran created a tremen- certainly two rival states of the
dous impact on world public Middle East region. Beyond
opinion as ‘Iran-Saudi Arabia current conjuncture, there are
tension.’ The reasons of this two definitive factors in the ri-
tension between the two re- valry between Iran and Saudi
gional powers, Iran and Saudi Arabia. These are geopolit-
Arabia, who are considerably ical and ideological factors.
different from each other re- Geopolitical rivalry between
garding the regional politics of Iran and Saudi Arabia has been
the Middle East both in terms an issue since Great Britain’s
their existence and interests, proclamation of withdrawal
have been the most mentioned decision from Persian Gulf in
and discussed issue of the past 1968. After 1971 when the
few days. The most frequently British army had withdrawn
asked question to understand from the Gulf region, Iran
the reasons beneath the ten- assumed role of ‘Gulf ’s po-
sion between the two states was lice’ and both Iran and Saudi
whether it was rooted in con- Arabia became the two pillars
flict of interests or in polariza- of the US twin pillar policy
tions of sectarian differences. as guarantors of the US inter-
In this vein, another question ests in the region. However,
asked rather anxiously for the when the Arab states placed

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ORSAM REVIEW OF REGIONAL AFFAIRS
No.38, JANUARY 2016

an embargo on oil sales to However, the geopolitical ri-


the USA and other countries valry that had been balanced
that supported Israel in 1973 with the ‘twin pillars’ policy of
Arab-Israeli War, Iran under the USA before 1979 lost this
the leadership of Muhammad balance as a result of the revi-
Reza Shah did not give support sionist ideology of the Islamic
to this use of oil as a weapon Republic of Iran, which de-
in world politics for the first clared the imperialisms of
time. On the one hand, Iran both USA and Soviet Russia as
was in controversy with Saudi enemies. The regional threat
Arabia because it continued caused by Islamic Revolution’s
oil sales to USA and Israel, on revisionist attitude also tar- Beyond current
the other hand, it was having geted the secular and nation- conjuncture,
disputes over sharing the Shatt alist Middle East monarchies.
there are two
al-Arab waterway with Iraq Arab autocratic monarchies
definitive
that was the other big power that began to perceive threat
of the Persian Gulf. In this from revolutionary Iranian
factors in the
period, Iran and Saudi Arabia administration supported rivalry between
engaged in rivalry to become Iraq in its eight-year war with Iran and Saudi
the indispensible partner of Iran, which started with the Arabia. These
the USA in Gulf security. The attack by Iraq under Saddam are geopolitical
Islamic Revolution of Iran in Hussein’s rule to Iran in revo- and ideological
1979 added the ideological lutionary turmoil in 1980. In factors.
dimension to the geopolitical 1981, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,
rivalry between Iran and Saudi Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and
Arabia. United Arab Emirates es-
tablished Gulf Cooperation
Geopolitical Factors in Iran- Council (GCC) as a regional
Saudi Arabia Rivalry after political and security alliance
1979 against Iranian threat. Gulf
The geopolitical rivalry be- states perceived a great threat
tween Iran and Saudi Arabia from a possible Iranian he-
on the hegemony of the gemony over the Gulf region
Persian Gulf during the period both due to the Gulf ’s oil re-
of Pahlavi monarchy contin- serves and being the transfer
ued after the 1979 revolution. route for their domestic oil to
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Iran-Saudi Arabia Tension Between Conflict of
National Interests and Sectarian Polarization

international markets. In the policy of export of revolution


tanker wars that had started and set the reconstruction of
when Iraq bombed Iran’s oil the war-ruined Iranian infra-
export terminal and oil tank- structure and economy as the
ers in Hark Island in 1984 and primary goal. To realize this
continued with Iran’s bomb- goal, Rafsanjani asserted that
ing Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti Iran should stop making ene-
tankers, these two states got mies. During the presidency of
drawn directly into the war. Rafsanjani, Iranian state shift-
With the end of Iran-Iraq war ed from ‘aggressive revolution-
in 1988, stability based on the ary’ foreign policy to a mod-
balance of power between the erate stance that can be na-
three great powers of the Gulf, med ‘pragmatic coexistence.’
Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, In 1997, when President
was restored. Muhammad Khatami formed
Following the restoration the first reformist govern-
of balance of power in the Gulf ment of Iran, Iranian foreign
region, the tension between policy left its revolutionary
Iran and Saudi Arabia gave rhetoric to a great extent, and
its place to rapprochement in Iran endorsed a reconciliatory
1989. Hashemi Rafsanjani, approach that aimed at estab-
who was elected as president lishing good relations with
of Iran, stepped back from the regional states and the world

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ORSAM REVIEW OF REGIONAL AFFAIRS
No.38, JANUARY 2016

powers. In this period, when Iranian influence in Iraq af-


realist perspective based on ter the restoration of order,
national interest became the the moderation in bilateral
principle in Iranian foreign relations did not come to a
policy decision-making in- halt, and Iranian President
stead of ideology, rapproche- Ahmadinejad and Saudi King
ment between Iran-Saudi Abdullah met as the represen- The collapse
Arabia relations was also set tatives of ‘fellow nations’ in of Saddam
in motion. The Saudi Crown Saudi Arabia in 2007. government,
Prince Abdullah visited Iran in The end of moderation which had been
December 1997 when Tehran and friendship messages be- a source of threat
hosted the Islamic Conference tween Iran and Saudi Arabia for Iran, changed
Summit for the first time, and and the course of events until the balance of
Iranian President Khatami current tension was brought
paid an official visit to Saudi
power in the
about with the Arab upris-
Arabia in 1999. These two vis- Gulf in favor of
ings that had started in Tunis
its had been the first official in December 2010, and sub- Iran. Although
visits of the two states to each sequently affected many Arab Saudi Arabia was
other since 1979. The moder- states, mainly Egypt, Libya, disturbed by
ate relations between the two and Syria. The first visible in- the increasing
states were clinched by signing cident of the crisis between Iranian influence
a security agreement on ter- Iran and Saudi Arabia was in Iraq after
rorism and drug trafficking in the protests in Bahrain where the restoration
2001. the Shi’ite majority revolted
of order, the
The US invasion of Iraq against the rule of the Sunni
in 2003 and the collapse of kingdom in February 2011.
moderation in
Saddam Hussein government To suppress the protests, Saudi bilateral relations
thwarted the moderation in Arabia sent 1,000 troops to did not come to a
Iran-Saudi Arabia relations. Bahrain within the ‘Peninsula halt.
The collapse of Saddam gov- Shield Forces’ that had been
ernment, which had been formed by the GCC’s decision
a source of threat for Iran, on 14 March, and Saudi offi-
changed the balance of power cials accused Iran of provoking
in the Gulf in favor of Iran. the protests. The Iran-Saudi
Although Saudi Arabia was crisis deepened when the US
disturbed by the increasing officials revealed an assassi-
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Iran-Saudi Arabia Tension Between Conflict of
National Interests and Sectarian Polarization

nation attempt against Saudi Saudi Arabia has openly be-


Arabia’s ambassador to the US, gun to be mentioned.
Adel al-Jubeir, on October 11, In the last crisis, setting the
2011. The Saudi Arabian ad- Saudi diplomatic legations in
ministration did not consid- Mashhad and Tehran on fire
ered the revolts in the eastern and the harsh response by the
part of its territory populated Iranian religious leader against
by the Shi’ites within the con- Saudi Arabia were interpret-
text of Arab revolts on the ba- ed as ‘sectarian conflict’ be-
sis of rights but perceived as an cause of the Shi’ite identity of
Iranian incitement. The arrest Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Saudi
of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was Arabia demanded Iranian dip-
also happened during these lomatic mission to leave the
protests. Syrian uprisings that country and cut its diplomat-
had started in March 2011 ic relations with Iran. Then,
turned into a sectarian civil Bahrain, Sudan, and Djibouti
war by December 2012, and also cut their diplomatic rela-
the conflict in Yemen that tions with Iran, United Arab
had started in March 2015 Emirates downgraded its rela-
confirmed once again that tions to the level of chargé d’af-
Iran and Saudi Arabia were faires, and Kuwait and Qatar
in different sides. Thereafter, withdrew their ambassadors
a proxy war between Iran and from Iran. It is evident that

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ORSAM REVIEW OF REGIONAL AFFAIRS
No.38, JANUARY 2016

the alliance formed against Although Iran and Saudi


Iran after the execution crisis Arabia represent two different
is not all that different from identities in the Islamic world
the alliance that was formed as regarding their official sects,
a security cooperation against the driving force of the ten-
the Iranian threat after 1979 sion between the two coun-
and that constituted the foun- tries after the Arab uprisings is
dations of GCC. While Sudan the geopolitical interests of the Although Iran
and Djibouti, who regard- two states, as also indicated by and Saudi
ed their strategic interests lie the blocs formed after the exe- Arabia represent
in siding with Saudi Arabia, cution crisis. two different
were involved in this alliance, identities in the
Oman did not want to choose Ideological Factors in Iran-
Saudi Arabia Rivalry After Islamic world
between Iran and Saudi Arabia
1979 regarding their
and opted for remaining out-
side. After all, considering the The basis of the ideologi- official sects, the
loci of two current deep crises, cal rivalry between Iran and driving force
Syria and Yemen, the actors Saudi Arabia is that both of the tension
involve in them are multifar- countries present their type of between the
ious. These crises, which are Islamic governments as an ex- two countries
being fed by the insecurity emplary model for the Islamic after the Arab
environment created by ISIS world. This understanding is uprisings is the
that appeared in Iraq and ex- shaped within the confines
geopolitical
panded gradually, are issues of of nation-state system of the
interests of the
civil war that are more com- modern age. To attribute the
plex than to be downgraded current ideological rivalry to two states, as
to a war between two sectari- the debate whether the ca- also indicated
an poles led by Iran and Saudi liphateship after the Prophet by the blocs
Arabia, and that the involve- Mohammad was the right of formed after the
ment of international actors Ali or not through a retro- execution crisis.
are highly influential. That spective reading of today is an
the groups involved in these approach that disregards the
civil wars belong to different modern historical, political
sects did not indicate Iran- and social realities. As a mat-
Saudi Arabia tension occurred ter of fact, neither Iran was re-
solely by sectarian incentives. garded to be the representative
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Iran-Saudi Arabia Tension Between Conflict of
National Interests and Sectarian Polarization

of all the Shiites of the world exemplary model for all the
nor Saudi Arabia was regard- Islamic countries. Although
ed to be the representative of Islamic Republic of Iran is a
all the Sunnis. However, the theocratic republic whose offi-
nation-state dress that the cial sect is Ithna ‘Ashariyya, it
two states cut out for them- has developed a holistic rath-
selves takes understanding of er than sectarian approach to
the sect as a reference point; religion. Accordingly, there is
hence, constitute a basis for one Islamic world and Iran
definition of their nation- has been a part of it. The con-
al interests on the sectarian stitution of the Iran portrays
grounds. The elements of the the aim of the revolutionary
rivalry between Iranian and government to form a mod-
Saudi Arabian state ideologies el of Islamic democracy that
will be mentioned below. will be an example for the
The Islamic Republic, Islamic world. The Islamic so-
which was established in 1979 cieties, which will take Islamic
by terminating the Pahlavi Republic of Iran as a model,
monarchy that had been the will terminate the un-Islamic
closest ally of the US govern- governments in their coun-
ment in the region, aimed at tries. This ideal, which was re-
presenting a free and indepen- ferred as ‘export of revolution,’
dent Islamic government as an was one of the aims of the

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ORSAM REVIEW OF REGIONAL AFFAIRS
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Islamic Republic in the first in the Middle East that has


ten years after the revolution. been shaken by the Arab up-
According to this ideal, the risings and especially the crisis
un-Islamic governments were in Syria and Yemen gradually
the autocratic monarchies. led the disturbed relations be-
The ideology of the Islamic tween Iran and Saudi Arabia
Republic, which came into to turn into a separation and
existence by terminating the polarization. The power bloc
Pahlavi monarchy, portrays Saudi Arabia is a religious formed after
monarchies as governments state whose official religion
the execution
that disregard both religious is Islam and who accept-
authority and popular sover-
of Sheikh Nimr
ed Qur’an and Sunna of the
eignty. Thus, the secular na- Prophet as its constitution,
al-Nimr by the
tionalist monarchies of the and a hereditary monarchy. states that cut
Middle East have been the Just like Islamic Republic their diplomatic
most threatened governments of Iran, Kingdom of Saudi relations with
by the Islamic Republic’s dis- Arabia claims according to its Iran is almost
course of the ‘export of revo- Fundamental Law to portray a the same as the
lution.’ This is also visible in ‘supreme model of politics’ and power bloc that
the regional alliances against aims to be an example for oth-
formed by the
Iran after the revolution. er Islamic countries. Although
Gradually, Iranian foreign pol-
Arab states for
there has been a widespread
icy shifted from the ground of view that Saudi Arabia rep- Gulf security
revolutionary rhetoric to ratio- resents Sunni Islam, the Saudi alliance after
nal decision-making, and ‘ex- royal family has strong connec- 1979 against the
port of revolution’ has ceased tions with Wahhabism, which Iranian discourse
to be an actual threat for the was formed by Muhammad of export of
regional states. However, the ibn Abd al-Wahhab in the revolution.
distrust on the part of regional 18th century. Wahhabism is a
states towards Iran remained. religious doctrine related to
Especially when the politi- Salafism, which is based on
cally empowered Shi’ites in the principle that Islam should
Iraq engaged in cooperation be exercised in the same way
with Iran, the Gulf monar- that the first three generations
chies and mainly Saudi Arabia had exercised. Thus, Wahhabi
were disturbed. The balances belief to which Saudi Arabia
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Iran-Saudi Arabia Tension Between Conflict of
National Interests and Sectarian Polarization

adheres cannot be regarded ex- of ‘Protector of the Two Holy


actly as Sunni Islam. Although Cities’ in order to strengthen
laws and regulations of Saudi their religious legitimacy vis-à-
state are based on Wahhabi vis Iran. The ideological rival-
principles, unlike the actual ry between the two states since
involvement of Shiite clergy in the revolution has been evi-
Iranian government, Wahhabi dent in the incidents during
clergy does not participate di- the haj. In 1981, as a result
rectly in the state administra- of the chaos happened when
tion. However, the Council of Iranian pilgrims were shout-
Senior Ulama involves in pol- ing revolutionary political
itics as the supreme religious slogans and the Saudi police
body of the kingdom with the intervened, Iran accused Saudi
responsibility to advice the Arabia with discrimination. In
king and to approve state pol- 1987, when a great number of
icies. In 2009, King Abdullah Iranian pilgrims died in the
enabled the non-Wahhabi clashes with the Saudi police,
scholars to become members Saudi Embassy in Tehran was
of the council for the first attacked. Saudi Arabia cut its
time, and in 2010 the authori- diplomatic relations with Iran
ty to give a fatwa was restricted after the incident and it did
to this council and a few other not accept Iranian pilgrims
scholars outside the council. to the country until 1991. In
After 1979 revolution, Iran the stampede of 2015, where
challenged the model pre- a great number of Iranian pil-
sented by Saudi Arabia to the grims lost their lives, Iranian
Islamic world. Revolutionary officials held the Saudi author-
ideology, which directly tar- ities responsible for the losses
geted the monarchies that and this incident strained the
engage in cooperation with tension occurred between the
USA, constituted a threat to two states since the Arab up-
the legitimacy of the Kingdom risings.
of Saudi Arabia. In fact, Saudi
kings, who were carrying the Conclusion
title of ‘His Majesty’ until The term ‘Shi’i Crescent,’
1986, began to use the title which has been accepted as

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ORSAM REVIEW OF REGIONAL AFFAIRS
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the dominant paradigm since the Middle East’s nation states


it was first uttered by the established through rational
Jordanian King Abdullah, decisions to sectarianism, and
divides the Middle East into it defines a static point of di-
Shi’ite and Sunni groups under vergence rooted in history for
two different identity frame- the Islamic states. The history
works. This understanding as- of conflict and alliance rela-
sumes that societies adhering tions between the nations of
to Shi’ite and Sunni sects are the modern Middle East dis-
located in two different polit- proves this reductionist and
ical sides due to their sectari- static approach.
an identities, and the societies The relations and identities Another point
in different political sides are of the two states in modern that has become
pursuing the same interests in era demonstrate the reality of evident in the
themselves. This assumption geopolitical and ideological ri-
last crisis is Saudi
lies underneath the current valry between Iran and Saudi
discourse of polarization in
Arabia’s concerns
Arabia. However, to attribute
the Middle East that regards the basis of this rivalry to regarding the end
Iran and Saudi Arabia as two Sunni and Shi’ite identities is a of Iran’s alienation
states in conflict due to their flawed approach. The current and isolation in
different sectarian identities. phenomenon named as sec- the international
The homogenous Shi’ite and tarian polarization is another system after the
Sunni identities that is defined indicator of geopolitical and nuclear deal.
by this approach, which makes ideological rivalry between
sectarian factor the definitive Iran and Saudi Arabia. In fact,
factor of the foreign policy the power bloc formed after
making, does not reflect the the execution of Sheikh Nimr
reality. In reality, the traditions al-Nimr by the states that cut
of belief, languages, and ethnic their diplomatic relations with
identities of the societies that Iran is almost the same as the
are assumed to be under the power bloc that formed by the
sectarian identity definitions Arab states for Gulf security
are not homogenous. On the alliance after 1979 against the
other hand, this approach Iranian discourse of export of
re-interprets the history by re- revolution. The Arab monar-
ducing the certain alliances of chies that perceived threat in
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Iran-Saudi Arabia Tension Between Conflict of
National Interests and Sectarian Polarization

the past from the hostile atti- ing support to Salafi and takfi-
tude of Iran towards monar- ri groups since the beginning
chies struggle for the preserva- of Arab uprisings.
tion of their authorities today Another point that has be-
against actual or potential in- come evident in the last cri-
fluence of Iran on the Shi’ite sis is Saudi Arabia’s concerns
minorities in their countries. regarding the end of Iran’s
Arab kingdoms, which ac- alienation and isolation in the
cuse Iran with interference in international system after the
their internal affairs, criticize nuclear deal. This will clearly
Iran on the basis of the most
bring the result of Iran’s ac-
fundamental principle of the
ceptance to international plat-
nation-state order, that is,
forms as one of the actors sit-
non-interference in internal
ting around the table, and will
affairs of sovereign states and
increase Iranian strategic pow-
respect for territorial integri-
er. Saudi Arabia, together with
ty. The Arab uprisings, which
its allies, wants to alienate Iran
brought into view the public
in the region. The incidents
space where Shi’ite minorities
after the execution of Sheikh
in the Arab states express the
Nimr al-Nimr created an op-
discrimination for the exercise
portunity for Saudi Arabia in
of their political and human
this regard.
rights by the state authorities,
paved the way for this attitude In conclusion, Iran-Saudi
against Iran. Although exten- Arabia tension does not stem
sive Iranian presence in any from the different sectarian
state apart from Syria has been basis of their governments,
an unverified claim, the ongo- but from different geopolit-
ing chaos in the region creates ical and ideological interests
a favorable environment for of the two states. In the pres-
the two states with different ence of the threat posed by
geopolitical and ideologi- ISIS terrorist organization in
cal interests, Iran and Saudi the region, which constitutes
Arabia, to accuse each other. a security threat not only for
As a matter of fact, Iran also Iran and Saudi Arabia but also
accuses Saudi Arabia with giv- for other regional states and

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ORSAM REVIEW OF REGIONAL AFFAIRS
No.38, JANUARY 2016

challenges both Iran and Saudi fighting against this common


Arabia with its newly created threat. Iran and Saudi Arabia,
so-called Islamic state ideology together with their regional al-
and system, it is not a realistic
liances, will continue their ef-
possibility that the tension be-
forts to fight against this threat
tween the two states will turn
through their own methods,
into a regional sectarian polar-
ization. Yet, it also seems un- and to restore regional peace
likely that the two states will in line with their own inter-
cast aside their differences in ests.

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