A Study Of The Relations Between Iran And Saudi Arabia 1979-1998

Iran and Saudi Arabia were two countries of great influence in the Middle East. The development of their relations has great influence on the situation of Middle East and the world.From the year 1979 to 1998,the main characteristics of their relations in the 20 years were from tension and antagonism to peace and cooperation,which could be described as the letter "U".The 20 years relations can be divided into the following three periods:the period of Khomeini,the period of low tide and the period of Khamenei—Rafsanjani.The policy of Iran to Saudi Arabia evolved from domination of ideology to the emphasis on pragmatism,from the export of Islamic Revolution to the emphasis of national interests.From the view of the develop process of the two countries' relations,it can be seen that Iran had always been in the dominant position. From the view of the characteristics of their government,Iran Regime had the characteristics of transitional and exploratory,while Saudi Arabia was stable and successive.From the view of the factors that influence their relations,it can be said that there were no radical interest conflicts and irreconcilable contradictions between them. Their conflicts lied mainly in the competition for the domination of Islamic world.Iran was the traditional powerful country,hoping to restore its status,while Saudi Arabia owing to its special religious status and economic strength made itself the leader of Islamic world.Now,as long as Iran does not come back to the old line of "neither East nor West,only Islamic",the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia and even the whole Arabian world would develop in a healthy and positive way.In the words of Muhammad Ali Hadi,Iran and Saudi Arabia were the two wings of Islamic world.It could not go without each of them.Studies of the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia can help anticipate the future relations of the Arabian world.