Such key factors determine political trends in the region and for this reason, relations between the two countries, especially in the post-Islamic Revolution era, have always been of interest to other countries in the region.
Domestic changes such as coming to power of new presidents in Iran and kings in Saudi Arabia have always resulted in tactical modifications in Tehran-Riyadh relations during the past 36 years.
Also, outside factors, especially regional and international developments, have greatly affected Tehran-Riyadh ties, causing estrangement or rapprochement of relations between the two Persian Gulf countries, and leading them to a sort of competition and consequent adoption of opposite decisions in forums such as OPEC that ended up in increasing oil supply in the market and sharp decline in oil prices in the mid-1980s and also in recent months.
However, the September 11 attacks and the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq changed the balance of power in the Middle East. The downfall of two old enemies of Iran in its western and eastern borders interpreted by Saudis as Iran’s increasing power in the region. The issue became more intense when a Shiite government took power in Iraq and Riyadh refused to recognize the Shiite government in Baghdad.
Two other regional developments left radical impacts on Tehran-Riyadh relations.
Soon after King Abdullah came to power, Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri was assassinated and Riyadh blamed the Iran-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for his death.
Also, the 33-day war in Lebanon began and the Saudis held pro-Iran Hizbullah of Lebanon responsible for the outbreak of the war.
Such regional challenges extremely eclipsed Iran-Saudi relations. Also, further strengthening of the US presence in the Middle East fueled mistrust and widened the existing gap between the two countries. Despite such challenges, Tehran and Riyadh made efforts to prevent further deterioration of relations and turning them into open hostility.
But the Arab uprisings and their different interpretations of the developments in the Arab world ushered in new tension in Iran-Saudi relations.
When the uprisings spread to Syria, the tensions reached its climax and their covert rivalry exposed itself and turned into an open hostility that extended to Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and even Palestine.
These tensions did not ease even when the new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani came to power with his determination to strengthen relations with foreign countries. Instead, the political and military tensions spread to economic zone as well. Saudis prevented any decline in oil production by OPEC countries causing more than 50 percent drop in oil prices while Iran favored limiting oil supplies in the world market.
Despite such tensions in Tehran-Riyadh, the cooperation-based approach by President Rouhani and his efforts to settle the existing differences peacefully, one can be hopeful that with coming to power of the new King Salman in Saudi Arabia since the death of King Abdullah on Friday, the two countries’ relations would warm up in near future.
However, it should be noted that the tensions, wars and bloodsheds in the Middle East in recent years could possibly be solved with rapprochement of Iran and Saudi Arabia ties.
Friendly relations between the two countries are not out of reach. Under the auspices of such relations, it is imaginable that not only the regional tensions would be solved, but also the presence of foreign powers in the Middle East can probably be prevented.
