Rivalry in the Middle East: the History of Saudi-Iranian Relations and Its Implications on American Foreign Policy
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BearWorks MSU Graduate Theses Summer 2017 Rivalry in the Middle East: The History of Saudi-Iranian Relations and its Implications on American Foreign Policy Derika Weddington Missouri State University, [email protected] As with any intellectual project, the content and views expressed in this thesis may be considered objectionable by some readers. However, this student-scholar’s work has been judged to have academic value by the student’s thesis committee members trained in the discipline. The content and views expressed in this thesis are those of the student-scholar and are not endorsed by Missouri State University, its Graduate College, or its employees. Follow this and additional works at: https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses Part of the Defense and Security Studies Commons, International Relations Commons, and the Near and Middle Eastern Studies Commons Recommended Citation Weddington, Derika, "Rivalry in the Middle East: The History of Saudi-Iranian Relations and its Implications on American Foreign Policy" (2017). MSU Graduate Theses. 3129. https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3129 This article or document was made available through BearWorks, the institutional repository of Missouri State University. The work contained in it may be protected by copyright and require permission of the copyright holder for reuse or redistribution. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RIVALRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST: THE HISTORY OF SAUDI-IRANIAN RELATIONS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY A Masters Thesis Presented to The Graduate College of Missouri State University TEMPLATE In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science, Defense and Strategic Studies By Derika Weddington August 2017 RIVALARY IN THE MIDDLE EAST: THE HISTORY OF SAUDI-IRANIAN RELATIONS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY Defense and Strategic Studies Missouri State University, August 2017 Master of Science Derika Weddington ABSTRACT The history of Saudi-Iranian relations has been fraught. This relationship has impacted the United States’ role in the Persian Gulf. Prior to the formation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran could be characterized in terms of mutual understanding which allowed them to become integral parts of the American foreign policy in the1970s. This policy was intended to safeguard Western interests in the Persian Gulf after the British left. Saudi-Iranian cooperation during this time was in stark contrast to the hostile relationship that developed between them following the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The United States also was enveloped in its own hostile relationship with Iran after the revolution.TEMPLATE The United States, thus, turned toward Saudi Arabia as a bulwark against Iranian aggression in the Gulf. After the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia underwent a rapprochement. Saudi Arabia sought rapprochement despite the United States’ attempt to continue to isolate Iran. At present, the relationship between Tehran and Riyadh is fraught as the two wrestle once again for influence, ideologically, logistically, and territorially. During the Obama administration, Iran was slowly welcomed back as a participant on the world stage as a result of the Iran Nuclear Deal. This development has the Saudis worried about their relationship with the United States. The Saudis fear that the deal will thaw the turbulent relationship between Washington and Tehran and in turn, Washington will abandon Riyadh for a new partner in the Gulf, Tehran. KEYWORDS: Iran, Saudi Arabia, United States, rivalry, foreign policy This abstract is approved as to form and content _______________________________ Ilan Berman, J.D. Chairperson, Advisory Committee Missouri State University ii RIVALRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST: THE HISTORY OF SAUDI-IRANIAN RELATIONS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY By Derika Weddington A Masters Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College Of Missouri State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science, Defense and Strategic Studies August 2017 Approved: TEMPLATE _______________________________________ Ilan Berman, J.D. _______________________________________ Andrei Shoumikhin, PhD _______________________________________ John Rose, PhD _______________________________________ Julie Masterson, PhD: Dean, Graduate College In the interest of academic freedom and the principle of free speech, approval of this thesis indicates the format is acceptable and meets the academic criteria for the discipline as determined by the faculty that constitute the thesis committee. The content and views expressed in this thesis are those of the student-scholar and are not endorsed by Missouri State University, its Graduate College, or its employees. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the following people for their support during the course of my graduate studies: Professor Ilan Berman, Dr. Andrei Shoumikhin, Dr. John Rose, Dr. Keith Payne, Dr. Kerry Kartchner, Caron Tolton, and Harriett Richmond. TEMPLATE iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: Setting the Stage for the Current State of Affairs ..........................................1 Chapter 1: The Early History of the Relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia (1925-1979).........................................................................................................................7 Chapter 2: The Iranian Revolution and the Redefinition of Iranian-Saudi Relations (1979-1989).......................................................................................................................20 Chapter 3: The Saudi-Iranian Rapprochement (1989-2011) ............................................48 Chapter 4: Arenas of Iranian-Saudi Engagement: Syria and Iraq......................................71 Chapter 5: Iranian Nuclear Ambitions and the Saudi Reaction .......................................101 Conclusion: The Current State of an Intractable Relationship ........................................122 References ........................................................................................................................130 TEMPLATE v INTRODUCTION: SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS From the establishment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 until present day, the relationship between the Kingdom and the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) has been mercurial, which has impacted American foreign policy in the Middle East. By reviewing literature from a wide-range of experts who have written in English on the subject, this thesis will use historical analysis to look first at the early relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the way it coalesced over various stages prior to the Iranian Revolution to the present day and its implications on American foreign policy in the region. According to Toby Craig Jones the allure of the Middle East for the US is because of its abundant oil supply and oil has turned the areaTEMPLATE into an American obsession, as indirect military involvement through arm sales to the Gulf States gave way to direct military intervention.1 He continued to state, “Over the course of the twentieth century, preserving the security not just of Saudi Arabia but of the entire Persian Gulf region and the flow of Middle Eastern oil were among the United States’ chief political-economic concerns.”2 These concerns have played out differently over the course of several American presidents. Before the official establishment of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Saudi Arabia had only limited contact. However, after the leader of Iran, sided with the Axis powers during World War II, the British and Russians insisted that he abdicate. It was not until Reza 1. Toby Craig Jones, “America, Oil, and War in the Middle East,” The Journal of American History,” (2012): 208. doi:10.1093/jahist/jas045. 2. Ibid. 1 Shah’s abdication in 1941 did the nature of the Saudi-Iranian relationship change. The two conservative monarchies became Western-aligned and, although both were Islamic states, Iran chose not to compete with Saudi Arabia’s important place within Islam. One of the defining moments in the history of their relationship was the British decision to vacate the Persian Gulf in the late 1960s. The British influence in the region was undeniable. It was as Jones stated, “a perch from which they projected power for several decades.”3 Since 1820, Great Britain had established a presence in the Gulf to protect its shipping routes and communication lines to and from the jewel of its empire, India, from rampant piracy in the Persian Gulf. After India received its independence from Britain in 1947, the Gulf continued to be important to Britain because securing Western access to oil was of the utmost importance. Britain’s departure created a power vacuum in the region. America was dismayed TEMPLATE by Britain’s decision to leave, having relied on Britain to safeguard Western interests in the Gulf.4 However, given its overextension at that time in Vietnam, the US was not able to take on the role vacated by Britain. The British departure made the US anxious about the future of the region. Neither the British nor the Americans were eager to see a power vacuum emerge in the region, as they feared Soviet interference. Upon conducting several studies on the future of a Persian Gulf without British protection, the Nixon administration decided to use