Saudi Arabia and Iran: Power and Rivalry in the Middle East

by Simon Mabon

In the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution, relations between states in the Middle East were reconfigured and reassessed overnight. Amongst the most-affected was the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The existence of a new regime in Tehran led to increasingly vitriolic confrontations between these two states, often manifesting themselves in the conflicts across the region, such as those in Lebanon and Iraq, and more recently in Bahrain and Syria. With rhetoric emanating from each side about the other’s illegitimacy, most often couched in terms of religious orthodoxy or heresy, the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran has ramifications not only in the Gulf or the wider Middle East, but also on the international stage. In order to shed light upon this rivalry, Simon Mabon examines the different identity groups within Saudi Arabia and Iran (made up of various religions, ethnicities and tribal groupings), proposing that internal insecurity has an enormous impact on the wider ideological and geopolitical competition between the two. Focusing on the ‘soft power’ aspects of foreign policy formation (as opposed to ‘hard power’), Mabon draws a nuanced picture of the diplomatic and international relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the ways in which each state has sought to attain a leading position in both the Middle East and Muslim world. Mabon therefore looks at the ways in which each state has a tendency to provide support for identity groups that threaten the security of the other regime, such as Iran’s support for the Shi’a of Saudi Arabia, or Saudi Arabia’s attempt to strengthen ties with the ethnic Arabs in Iran. With analysis of this heated and often uneasy relationship and its impact on the wider Middle East, this book is vital for those researching international relations and diplomacy in the region.

Genres: Politics, Middle East, Iran, History, Nonfiction

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Forhad Juwain Sumon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book thoroughly analyzed if the rivalry really sectarianism in nature or whether the antagonism is for larger struggle for legitimacy in the region. This book is an attempt to capture the rivalry from a perspective of security dilemma. Whether the two states can create a climate of trust is hypothetical, but this book is necessary to understand whether this is a sectarian conflict or a struggle for regional hegemony.

[Fuad Karimli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stopped reading after the author repeated the word 'incongruence' over 68 times in one page.

Overall, it was a good comparison of these two countries.

[Popoy Mindalano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simon Mabon offers its readers with the realities of the rivalry that exist between Saudi Arabia and Iran and its root cause. Yes it stemmed from their ideological incongruence and its violent history of discord where the inception of another Islamic sect had materialized. However, in this modern era it is not, as a matter of fact, about the Persian and Arabian enmity and their ideologies where the majority of its respective denizens are inclined to but it is more of geopolitical concern where in actuality it outweighs their ideological concerns.

Both Iran and Saudi have made effort on the proselytization of their ideologies, exporting it with an effect of a double edged sword whereby they are strengthening their legitimacy and on the same breath delegitimising the other. Religion is their number one tool for legitimacy and a weapon for demonization of their rival with Saudi as the Wahabbi doctrine (derogatory term for the Salafi movement) and Iran, on the otherhand, with Shiism theology.

The author expounded further that the two archrivals utilizes religious rhetorics as a tool for manipulation in order for the nation to cohere into discrediting and delegitimising the other while it strengthens their legitimacy in the eyes of their own citizens. The exportation of Shi’i dogma have been perceived as a threat by Saudi elites as it attacks, in a soft-power method, their legitimacy as the protector of the Holy Land which further undermines the stability of the country as Shi’i minority were turned into Iranian proxy further galvanizing them to achieve their own irredentist agenda.

This book basically discloses the hypocrisy of Iran and the Saudi ruling elites and the roots of their rivalry. It stirs its readers into ponderance on the reality that the rivalry stemmed not from their ideological incongruence or even about historical animosity but of insecurity of the Kingdom towards Iran after the 1979 revolution. Al Saud, as a preemptive effort, asked for the United States to serve as their security against external threats where the latter was deemed an enemy of the Iranian state as US have been deemed a threat to their security and legitimacy of the Post 1979 Revolution Iran. The only way to strengthen its sense of legitimacy is protecting its ideological integrity within and exporting it outside by the same token for further preservation.

What can be deduced from this book is that both states aims at having a leading position in the Middle East and the Muslim world in general thus the huge funding in the proselytization of their ideologies. Having a humungous band of indoctrinators increases the rate of people who are being manipulated to convert into the fold who would gladly swallow their rhetorics without a speck of doubt which in turn leads to their obliviousness of their hypocrisy. This is exactly the source of the increase of both Iran and Saudis proxies and the exacerbation of the conflict in the region. It served as the source of a sense of empowerment of the exacidentity groups within each state like the Sunni Baluchis of Iran for instance and the Shi’i minority in the southern part of the Kingdom.

Tolerance of the other is one of the solution perceived by the author so as to resolve the conflict between the two states that has resulted to bloody repercussion in the region. However, that’s easier said than done considering the real purpose behind the competition in the ideological sphere and that of its geopolitical dominance. One thing is certain, Saudi Arabia will not be having an amiable relation with Iran anytime soon. In fact, we are a witness that their rivalry, at this juncture, have intinsified to a greater length. Tolerance does not belong to the lexicon of Iran and Saudi Arabian elite as it would reveal their deception and false sanctimoniousness that would undermine their effort, as a result, for legitimacy and dominance.

[Shatha Sbeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote a full academic review on www.arabmillennial.net

[Naema AbdiRazak · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I start reading this book for the first couple of days/chapters I thought I made the wrong decision by buying it. However, it turns out to be a good book overall, but unfortunately it did not add much to me.
This book is definitely for someone who knows zero about Saudi Arabia and Iran culture/ politics, very useful if you want to build up your knowledge of both countries. Yet it might not be a staunch book to read for someone who knows the politics of the ME.

[Sandeep · Rating 1 out of 5]

Exceptionally poor in terms of quality of writing. There is at the most a couple of ideas that are being reworded reframed and repeated ad nauseum throughout the book. The chapters are disjointed and don’t serve to develop any ideas and just repeat essentially the same things over and over. Exceptionally dull writing and a complete waste of time as very little insights into Iran Saudi rivalry is revealed.

[David Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

O livro faz um paralelo pormenorizado sobre a influência e antagonismo das duas maiores potências do Oriente Médio e como usam a religião como instrumento político para influenciar os povos da região. Gostei.