Relationship Between Saudi Arabia And Iran – There are several different issues in the Middle East that will ultimately shape the future of the region. Some specific challenges include the rise of regional actors such as Turkey and Qatar, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the proliferation of nuclear weapons in countries such as Israel, Pakistan and Iran, and the rise of civil wars in countries such as Iraq, Syria. , Bahrain and Yemen. Despite the importance of all these concerns, it can be argued that the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran is the most important factor shaping the future of the Middle East in the future.
One reason for the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is the differences between their governments. Saudi Arabia is a theocratic absolute monarchy. The Saudi king is responsible for almost all aspects of government, and political parties are banned. In addition, members of the Saudi royal family often hold key government positions, contributing to the high level of corruption and inefficiency of the Saudi government. As a result of these factors, Saudi Arabia is in the bottom quartile of international rankings for human rights, political freedom and government ethics.
Relationship Between Saudi Arabia And Iran
On the other hand, Iran has a different governance system compared to Saudi Arabia. Initially, until 1978-1979, Iran had a constitutional monarchy until the revolution of the 1960s, but today the Iranian government operates as a theocratic republic. Iran’s government is characterized as an authoritarian regime, with many restrictions on civil liberties, freedom of the press, and positions outside the political establishment. In addition, the Iranian government has passed numerous laws that discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, and religion, and freely applies the death penalty to political opponents of the government. As such, Iran ranks last overall in international human rights rankings, behind only Syria, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen and South Sudan.
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The rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is intensifying based on the political differences between the two countries. For example, Saudi Arabia supports rebels fighting the Syrian government and its president, Bashar al-Assad. The Saudi Arabian government opposes the Assad government and supports regime change in Syria, arguing that Assad is no longer a true representative of the Syrian people. In addition, Saudi Arabia is a major supporter of the Sunni governments of Bahrain and Yemen and has provided them with strong political and economic support since the 2011 Arab Spring protests. Although Saudi Arabia does not have open diplomatic relations with Israel and has previously fought against Israel in the 1948 Arab-Israeli and 1973 Yom Kippur wars, Saudi Arabia supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has sought to increase. diplomatic relations with Israel, as both oppose Iranian influence in the region.
Iran has pursued a foreign policy that is opposite to that promoted by Saudi Arabia. For example, Iran has been a staunch supporter of the Syrian government since the 1980s, as the Syrian government, then led by Hafez al-Assad, strongly supported Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. In return, Saudi Arabia supported Saddam Hussein and provided Iraq with military weapons and intelligence to be used against the Iranians. Iran also supports groups such as the Houthis, who have been fighting the Saudi-backed government in Yemen since 2004, and Shiite rebels against the Saudi-backed government in Bahrain. Iran also criticizes the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, claiming that the Israeli government has committed widespread human rights violations against the Palestinian people since its establishment in 1948. Political Iran supports violent resistance groups. against Israel’s current government, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and since 2011 has been a key proponent of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which seeks to increase international pressure on Israel to change. his policy towards Palestine.
Iran has sought to increase economic and political ties with countries such as Russia over the past two decades.
Both Saudi Arabia and Iran are also supported by rival countries. For example, Saudi Arabia is heavily supported by the United States and Arab countries, which provide Saudi Arabia with military protection and diplomatic support. In particular, the USA and Saudi Arabia have had close relations since the mid-1940s. Conversely, Iran has forged close political alliances with Russia and China, which have recently sought to increase their presence in the Middle East to counter American dominance in the region. In particular, relations between Russia and Iran have increased since Vladimir Putin became president of Russia in 1999, and the Russian government has indicated that it would intervene on Iran’s behalf if the United States and/or Israel launched a military attack. . Iran has also tried to develop diplomatic and economic relations with a number of European countries important to US foreign policy in the Middle East, such as Germany, France, Italy, and Ireland, and has seen some success in this area since the election of Hassan Rouhani. President of the USA. Iran in 2013
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Another factor shaping the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran is religious differences. Saudi Arabia has a majority Sunni Muslim population, although 8-10% of its population is Shia. Saudi Arabia is intolerant of minority religious groups such as Shia Muslims, Christians, Jews and many others. The Shia community in Saudi Arabia in particular has been the target of much persecution. For example, Shia communities in Saudi Arabia are characterized by extreme poverty and a lack of economic and social opportunities, Shia Muslims are denied political and social representation, and Saudi Arabian laws have discriminated against Shia Muslims since the Middle Ages. institutionalized. – 1920 Additionally, the Saudi government has executed several Shia religious leaders in recent years, such as Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, claiming they were Iranian spies who threatened Saudi national security. Saudi Arabia’s intolerance of other religions stems directly from the concept of Wahhabism, a conservative sect of Islam that considers Muslims who reject its tenets as heretics. Moreover, Saudi Arabia, as the region’s largest Sunni-majority country, also sees itself as the main defender of Sunni interests in the Middle East.
Despite the current policies of the Iranian government, Iranian society embraced the ideas of religious tolerance during the reign of Cyrus the Great.
Iran, on the other hand, is majority Shia and considers itself the protector of Shia Muslims in various Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, in addition to various non-Middle Eastern countries. Eastern countries like Nigeria and India. Iran is home to minority religious groups such as Sunni Muslims, Christians, Jews, Baha’is (a religion that is an offshoot of Islam), and Zoroastrians (a religion that influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).
The Iranian government’s record on religious minorities is mixed at best. Iran’s constitution reserved some parliamentary seats for Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, and these groups appeared to be protected from government persecution, although these religious groups often faced restrictions on their religious practices. On the other hand, Sunni and Baha’i Iranians have faced government persecution at various times since the Iranian Revolution and have been the target of government-sponsored terrorist campaigns. The Iranian government justifies the persecution of the Baha’i faith and Sunni Islam by falsely claiming that they are a threat to national security.
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Despite the current religious policies of the Iranian government, Iranian society is accustomed to religious acceptance and multiculturalism. The practice of religious tolerance in Iran has deep roots in Iranian history and dates back to ancient times. For example, Cyrus the Great, who ruled modern-day Iran (then known as Persia) in B.C. From 559 to 530 years. Basic human rights such as freedom of religion and respect for local religious traditions in the territories it seized from the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
In conclusion, the ongoing dispute between Iran and Saudi Arabia is the main political issue shaping the future of the region. The conflict between the two countries threatens to split the Middle East along political and religious lines and will ultimately hamper efforts to resolve long-standing disputes in the region and further destabilize an already volatile region of the world.
Matt researches and analyzes policy at all levels. He is the creator of a scholarly resource that explores political trends, political theory, political economy, philosophy, and more. He hopes that his writings can encourage more people to become politically literate and understand the impact of public policy decisions on their lives. Matt is also involved in the preservation of recorded sound through the IASA International Discography bibliography and is an avid record collector.
On November 15, protests in different cities of Iran increased after general strikes on the occasion of the anniversary.
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