The Analysis of Factors Affecting the Competitive Interaction of Iran and Saudi Arabia in the First Decade of the Revolution

Abstract

Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia as two of the powerful countries in the Persian Gulf region have experienced various behavioral patterns in their interrelationship. After the Islamic Revolution, Tehran and Riyadh, which used to be bonded together due to some common identity and international system necessities, started facing each other. On the one hand, this resulted in disorder and imbalance of power in the region. On the other hand, the new identity of Iran was regarded as a challenge to Saudi Arabia’s religious legitimacy. In the current article it has been tried to identify the factors which led to tension and opposition between the two actors which were once collaborative and friendly; it has also been asked “what were the determining factors of the competitive action between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the first decade after the Revolution, and what were the consequences?” An answer to the question has been offered; “identity, geopolitical, and structural factors shaped the relationship between the two countries over the first decade after the Islamic Revolution and the confluence of the identity and geopolitical competition along with the structural pressure formed the competitive-oppositive patterns in their interrelationship.” This article is of descriptive-analytical approach and two material and social theories have been used as the theoretical basis of the article.