Iran-Saudi Arabia Relations, 1932-2014

In terms of the proved oil and natural gas reserves, commercial, military and political interests of the Gulf littoral countries largely overlap in the region. This necessity provides an important ground for a reasonable cooperation to reach secure energy markets for exportation. Both countries have right to control Gulf transportation and need to security of Hurmuz Strait encouraging cooperation. In so doing, Iran - Saudi Arabia relation is generally determined by interactions capacity between global and regional power balance calculations and internal political factors. Ethnic and sectarian identities, on the other hand, occasionally play essential role for final purpose but generally serves as tools of internal and foreign policies. As a result, Saudi Arabia – Iran relations characterize friendly when both capitals are on the same side of the global balance of power, or cooperative feature when the region begin to move in itself according to the original dynamics of the region. On the other hand, when they are located in different poles of the global equation or when an increase in the influence of external factors is observed, a discourse and an environment of conflict comes to the fore.