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Introduction
The Middle East has been a source of many political situations, religious conflicts, and regional confrontations that represent illustrative cases for studying international relations. The leadership struggles between Saudi Arabia and Iran are a serious and topical problem that the world faces in the 21st century. Nowadays, it is complicated to find the origins for all the conflicts: some of the researchers propose the idea that the deterioration of the situation started during the Cold War (Cerioli, 2018). At the same time, other specialists put forward the hypothesis that the main cause is the intervention of the United States troops in Iraq, in 2003 (Fathollah-Nejad, 2017). However, the only thesis that does not need to be proved is that the battle for hegemony in the Persian Gulf is a global issue (Dizboni & Omar, 2018). As a result of the research, it is possible to provide a new way of understanding the situation.
All the examined articles are related to one topic that is investigated. Nevertheless, they are notably diverse because of the variety of points of view that are presented there. A new perspective on the role models used by the analyzed countries is expected to be one of the main implications of this paper. This research aims to describe the geopolitical positions of the countries of the Middle East, outline the main conflicts occurring in the region, and provide an analysis considering the international relations theories.
Saudi-Iranian Rivalry in Bahrain’s and Yemen’s Arab Spring
Saudi Arabia and Iran struggle for power over the rest part of the Middle East. From the point of view of international relations, it is essential to investigate the role conceptions, that governments choose for their states. The examined countries had different strategies during the Arab Spring. Saudi Arabia “presents itself as a stable monarchy, wealthy and charitable” (Cerioli, 2018, p. 310). It provides the image of the moderator of all the conflicts in the Middle East (Kurdistan, 2018). The state decided to control the situation by using military forces and collaborating with the European authorities. During the events in Bahrain and Yemen, Saudi Arabia played the part of the protector of ordinary people (Wilf, 2017). All military actions were discussed with the government of the United States. Saudi Arabia railed against all the sources of instability and did not neglect the military invasion.
Iran performed another national role model during the Arab Spring. It “portrays itself as a revisionist leader, opponent of the current regional order, against outside interference in the Middle East, and a defender of popular Islamic movements” (Cerioli, 2018, p. 310). The government stayed for the absence of necessity to have consultations with Washington and associated them with the weakness of the monarchy. In conclusion, both countries succeeded in playing their roles and performing their image for the rest of the world. Nevertheless, it is hard to estimate the real impact of the states during the Arab Spring.
The Iranian–Saudi Hegemonic Rivalry
Iran and Saudi Arabia were the leading countries of the Middle East influenced by Washington and playing a role in foreign affairs at the time of the Cold War. Everything has changed since 1979 and the revolution in Iran (Fathollah-Nejad, 2017). Saudi Arabia remained the pro-European state and became a stable monarchy. Iran moved to another path: at present, it represents a revolutionary country with the value of Islamic traditions and the separateness of the Muslim world (Raouf, 2019). According to the neoliberal theory, having the opposite image is crucial for the strategy of resistance.
The confrontation between the two countries is so intense that it cannot be solved or reduced in one day. Especially, taking into consideration their geopolitical aims. Nonetheless, there is a chance of dealing with the issue: the economic crisis is dangerous for the whole region (Fathollah-Nejad, 2017). It would mean ruining the existing system and losing influence which is not beneficial neither for Iran nor for Saudi Arabia.
References
Cerioli, L. G. (2018). Roles and international behaviour: Saudi–Iranian rivalry in Bahrain’s and Yemen’s Arab Spring.Contexto Internacional, 40(2), 295-316.
Dizboni, A., & Omar, S. (2018). Hegemonic aspirations and Middle East discord: The case of Iran. E-International Relations. Web.
Fathollah-Nejad, A. (2017). The Iranian–Saudi hegemonic rivalry.The German Council on Foreign Relations. Web.
Kurdistan, I. (2018). Federalism, secession, and international recognition regime. Routledge.
Raouf, H. (2019). Iranian quest for regional hegemony: Motivations, strategies and constraints. Review of Economics and Political Science. 4(3), 242-256. Web.
Wilf, E. (2017). The battle for hegemony in the Middle East. Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
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