Document Type : Original Independent Original Article
Author
Assiatant Professor of International Relations in Ayatollah Borujerdi University
Abstract
Highlights
Introduction
Saudi Arabia's regulatory foreign policy toward the Islamic Republic of Iran has been focused on the continuous balancing of power since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. These balancing efforts were directed towards Saudi leaders' perceptions of the threat posed by the emergence of a Shia government in Iran and the presentation of a rival model of governance in the Middle East and Islamic Countries. Saudi authorities have long held this perception in the post-Islamic Revolution era. However, this perception was strongly reinforced in recent times, particularly after the popular uprisings that swept across the Arab world in 2011, as was the case in the 1980s.
Nevertheless, the type of Saudi Arabia's balancing strategy against the Islamic Republic of Iran has not been the same over time. During a specific period of time, especially in the 1980s and 1990s, this balancing was mainly directed towards external balancing in the framework of alliances and coalitions. During this period Saudi leaders' primary focus in responding to the perceived threat posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran was to strengthen ties and alliances with the West, particularly the United States. This external balancing strategy also involved establishing ties or strengthening the relations with neighboring states that viewed the Islamic Republic as a threat. It aimed to foster a balance of threat between these states and Iran, as evidenced by Saudi Arabia's relations with Iraq during the imposed Iran-Iraq war.
The nature of this balancing changed in the 2000s, particularly after 2010. In this period, Saudi leaders remained steadfast in their view of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a threat. However, the change in the balancing strategy has mainly been the tendency to prioritize internal balancing. During this period, in addition to maintaining and paying attention to external balancing, the main emphasis has been directed towards strengthening the internal structure of power and the internal components such as economic components, and especially, towards strengthening the armed forces and procuring military equipment.
Evaluation of this shift in the type of Saudi Arabia's balancing strategy in relation to the Islamic Republic faces a fundamental challenge. According to Waltz, while the balance of power theory can predict how states act, it falls short of elucidating the reasons for taking such actions. In order to solve this challenge, new approaches such as "dynamic balancing" can be used, which accounts not only for the type of balancing strategy but also for the reasons why it has changed.
Methodology
An analytical-descriptive approach is used in the present article, and the data are collected using the library method. This article begins by explaining the theory of dynamic balancing. The reasons that led Saudi Arabia's political leaders to perceive the Islamic Republic of Iran as a threat are discussed. Lastly, the effects of the change in the international system on the type of Saudi Arabia's balancing strategy against the Islamic Republic since 1979 are studied.
Findings
The dynamic balancing model seeks to integrate the balance of power and balance of threat theories to simultaneously study the roles played by the international system and by threat perception in shaping states' foreign policies. In dynamic balancing, the threat perception of the political leaders is the primary criterion for determining the balancing should be carried out against which state, and the polarity in the international system determines the type of balance that should be adopted. According to this perspective, Saudi Arabia's shift toward external balancing in its foreign policy toward the Islamic Republic during the Cold War was a response to the structural pressures of the bipolar system, which was put on the agenda by the perception of Saudi leaders' of the threat posed by the Islamic Revolution.
On the other hand, the multipolarity in the international system has upgraded the status of internal balancing. The United States' rising expenditures, and its efforts to maintain a balance of power with the great powers such as Russia and China, have prompted Saudi Arabia to shift toward external balancing. This type of balancing strategy is manifested in Saudi Arabia's efforts to strengthen its military capabilities and economy. Considering the persistent perceptions of the Islamic Republic of Iran's threat by Saudi leaders, this balancing strategy is directed towards Iran. From this perspective, given the growing distribution of power on the global stage and the multipolar international system, we can expect the internal balancing strategy against the Islamic Republic of Iran to be strengthened, This focus on internal balancing may potentially downplay the importance of the external elements in Saudi Arabia's foreign policy in relation to the Islamic Republic.
With the multipolarity in the international system and Saudi leaders' persisting threat perception, it appears that Saudi Arabia's internal balancing strategy against the Islamic Republic will be strengthened. In addition, because of US disengagement from the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has redirected a portion of its foreign policy toward bolstering relations with the other major global players, such as Russia and China. Given the significant position of orientalism in the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the promotion of Saudi Arabia's relations with these major powers serves a dual purpose. The kingdom seeks to benefit from the military and economic power of Russia and China while weakening their ties with Iran.
Conclusion
From the time the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia became an official state in 1932, one of its major weaknesses has been the one-dimensional economic structure of this country, which is based on oil exports. In this regard, the primary objective of the internal balancing of Saudi Arabia has been to enhance its economic status. Over the past decade, Saudi Arabia has made considerable efforts to diversify its economy and decrease its dependence on oil revenues by attracting foreign investment. For this purpose, substantial investments have been made in the tourism and transportation industries, and in higher production in downstream oil industry. Apparently, the strengthening of Saudi Arabia's internal balancing strategy against the Islamic Republic of Iran which, in the dynamic balancing perspective, resulted from the era of transition to a multipolar system will be reinforced due to the greater distribution of power in the international order. Of course, it must be noted that this prioritization of internal balancing does not imply the abandonment of external balancing, and Saudi Arabia still employs external balancing against the Islamic Republic of Iran by using regional and international alliances against Iran. An example of this is evident in the strengthening of its relations with its regional allies in the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League. A large part of the reduction in tensions between Saudi Arabia and Israel also results from the hostile relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Indeed, the efforts to improve relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel can be understood in light of this balancing strategy.
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