Dynamics of Iranian-Saudi Relations in the Persian Gulf Regional Security Complex (1920-1979) Nima Baghdadi Florida International University, [email protected]
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Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 3-22-2018 Dynamics of Iranian-Saudi Relations in the Persian Gulf Regional Security Complex (1920-1979) Nima Baghdadi Florida International University, [email protected] DOI: 10.25148/etd.FIDC006552 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the International Relations Commons, and the Other Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Baghdadi, Nima, "Dynamics of Iranian-Saudi Relations in the Persian Gulf Regional Security Complex (1920-1979)" (2018). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3652. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3652 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida DYNAMICS OF IRANIAN-SAU DI RELATIONS IN THE P ERSIAN GULF REGIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX (1920-1979) A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in POLITICAL SCIENCE by Nima Baghdadi 2018 To: Dean John F. Stack Steven J. Green School of International Relations and Public Affairs This dissertation, written by Nima Baghdadi, and entitled Dynamics of Iranian-Saudi Relations in the Persian Gulf Regional Security Complex (1920-1979), having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this dissertation and recommend that it be approved. __________________________________ Ralph S. Clem __________________________________ Harry D. Gould __________________________________ Naisy Sarduy __________________________________ Eric Lob __________________________________ Benjamin Smith __________________________________ Mohaddin Mesbahi, Major Professor Date of Defense: March 22, 2018 The dissertation by Nima Baghdadi is approved. __________________________________ Dean John F. Stack Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs __________________________________ Andres G. Gil Vice President for Research and Economic Development and the Dean of the University Graduate School Florida International University, 2018 ii © Copyright 2018 by Nima Baghdadi All rights reserved. iii DEDICATION This is dedicated to my parents, Kimberly and Ascher. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to begin by gratefully acknowledging the guidance, support and encouragement I received from my committee members. I extend my gratitude to Dr. Clem, Dr. Gould, Dr. Smith, Dr. Sarduy and Dr. Lob for committing to serve in my dissertation committee, guiding me throughout the way, keeping me motivated during this draining process, and helping me thrive both academically and personally. My special gratitude goes to my dissertation chair, Dr. Mesbahi for his patient mentorship, enthusiastic support, and compassionate care. Words cannot convey how blessed I feel to have had the opportunity to work with a mentor that is admittedly a father figure to me. I would not exaggerate if I said you made me a better person. I will be eternally grateful. Also, I would like to thank all of our administrative staff at the Department of Politics and International Relations, specifically Martha Rodriguez, Maria Gil, and Maria Wilkinson-Diaz for their unwavering support during my career. I want to specially thank Maria Wilkinson-Diaz who on several occasions helped me put out fires along the way. You never hesitated to go above and beyond to help me personally and professionally. I look forward to years of friendship with you. Ultimately, I want to humbly extend my sincerest appreciation to my parents, without whose sacrifice on many levels, I would not be here. You always guided me with your wise counsel and helped me overcome the hurdles along the way. You always trusted me and my choices, supported me unconditionally, and selflessly dedicated all you could to my success. I will be forever indebted. I owe a great debt of gratitude to my wife, Kimberly, for patiently bearing with all the difficulties of this whole process, for v being understanding, loving and supportive. You were a caring companion and true cheerleader. You strongly supported my passion and never let me down. There are much brighter days ahead of us. I look forward to them. vi ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION DYNAMICS OF IRANIAN-SAUDI RELATIONS IN THE PERSIAN GULF REGIONAL SECU RITY COMPLEX (1920 -1979) by Nima Baghdadi Florida Inte rnational University, 2018 Miami, Florida Professor Mohiaddin Mesbahi, Major Professor This dissertation is an exploration of the dynamics of Iranian-Saudi relations from the earliest days of their encounter in the 1920s through 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. This is a period in the relations of the two states that has rarely been the subject of intellectual inquiry in the existing literature. This present research provides an analytical historiography of Iranian-Saudi relations with an aim to examine the elements constituting the dynamics of their relations. This is attained by contextualizing the milestones of Iranian-Saudi relations, triangulating historical accounts to identify the narrative among alternatives that best fits the meaningful causal processes explaining continuity and change, and weighing the impacts of factors playing a role in any given period of the Iranian-Saudi relations. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I INTRODUCTION 1 5 Literature Review Method 8 Structure of the Project 9 I I STATE-SOCIETY RELATIONS IN IRAN AND SAUDI 1 5 ARABIA The Ide a of the State: Iran’s Major Security Commodity Saudi 1 6 Arabia’s Raison D’etre : A Challenge to the Authority of the 2 2 House of Saud Assessment 35 II I EARLY ENCOUNTERS AND THE RISE OF MUTUAL 37 SUSPICION (1924-1929) 1924 Khūzestān R ebellion 37 A Brief His tory of Khūzestān and Arab Settlements in this 37 Region Sheikh Khazal at the Clutch of the British Interests in the Great 39 Game Sheikh Khazal’s Rise to P ower and Quest for Autonomy 4 6 The Rise of Reza Khan to Power 4 9 How A bdul Aziz Perceived the Developments in Persia 53 1927 Treaty of Jeddah: Foiling Iran’s Claim to Bahrain and the 54 Resu lting Increase in Mutual Skepticism 1929 Treaty of Friendship: Saudi’s Unilateral Appeasem e nt of 60 Iran I V IRANIAN-SAUDI RELATIONS IN THE 1930s: A CURIOUS 65 CASE OF DISREGARD IN FOREING POLICY On tological Security and Saudi Arabia’s Quest for Regional Acknowledgement 66 Iran Entangled in Great Power Politics Iran Facing Russia’s Aspirations and the Communist Fervor Iran 69 Facing Brit ain’s Aspirations and Entrenched Interests 7 0 88 viii Germany as a Balancer, the Final Years of Reza Shah’s Reign 96 Anti-Arab Sentiments: The Fate of Aryans Rests Elsewhere 99 Conclusion 108 V WWII-STIRRED SHIFT OF POWER BALANCE AND 111 THE APILLOVER EFFECT OF NASSERISM AND ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLCT (1944-1960) 111 1944 Test of the Treaty of Friendship, Halting of Diplomatic Relations at a Hajj Incident 114 Post-War Context and International Security 120 International Security and Where Iran Fit in the United States’ Strategic Thinking 128 International Security And Where Saudi Arabia Fit In The United States’ Strategic Thinking 135 1951 Iranian Recognition of Israel 139 1951 Nationalization of Oil and 1953 CIA Coup in Iran 144 1953 - The Succession of King Saud and Disarray in Saudi Foreign Policy 148 1955 - The Problematique of the Baghdad Pact 152 Nasserism, 1956 Suez Canal Crisis and the Sinai War VI DEVELOPMENT OF AN IRANIAN-SAUDI 165 ALIGNMENT: CAUTIOUS AND CURTAILED (1962- 1979) Factors Capturing the Essence of the Period 1962-1979 170 Key Features of King Faisal’s Reign 1964-1975 177 Iranian-S audi Encounters during King Faisal’s Reign 181 1967 Arab-Israeli War 184 1962-1969 Yemeni War 186 Territorial Disputes in Anticipation of the British Withdrawal 188 from the Region 1973 Iranian-S audi Coordination Against Iraqi Seizure of 200 Kuwaiti Outposts 1973 Yom Kippur/Ramadan War and Oil Embargo 202 Iran-Iraq Border Dispute/ 1975 Algiers Agreement 212 Iranian-S audi Relations during King Khalid Reign 215 Hallmarks of King Khalid Reign 215 Iranian-Saudi anti-C ommunist Collaboration within the 218 Framework of Safari Club S audi’s Perception of the Tumultuous Year Leading to the 220 Islamic Revolution in Iran Concluding Remarks 230 VII CONCLUSION 236 ix BIBLIOGRAPHY 245 VITA 272 x Chapter I INTRODUCTION A characteristic of the contemporary global politics is its “regional flavor.”1 Two waves of regionalism are historically identifiable. The first wave began in the 1950s and continued into the 1970s. The still-ongoing second wave which is referred to as “new regionalism”2 started in the mid-1980s.3 Some scholars contend that “significant periods of economic regionalism” occurred in the interwar period and then only in the 1980s,4 while Acharya and Johnston maintain that “regionalism has been a consistent feature of the global security and economic architecture since World War II.”5 Security studies at the regional level is profoundly indebted to the various phases of decolonization specifically in the 1960s and the end of the Cold War.6 Decolonization put an end to European imperialism and ushered in national states and sovereign equality. Such rough equality replaced inequalities characteristic of the colonial era. This 1 Mark Beeson, M. “Rethinking Regionalism: Europe and East Asia in Comparative Historical Perspective,” Journal of European Public Policy, 12.6 (2005): 969-985. 2 Michael Keating, The New Regionalism in Western Europe: Territorial Restructuring and Political Change (Cambridge University Press, 1998); Wilfred J. Ethier, “The New Regionalism,” The Economic Journal, 108, 449 (1998): 1149-1161.; Bjorn Hettne, “Globalization and the New Regionalism: The Second Great Transformation.” Globalism and the New Regionalism, 1(1999): 1-24. 3 Jagdish Bhagwati, "Regionalism and Multilateralism: An Overview," New Dimensions in Regional Integration 22 (1993).