Revival of Saudi-Iran Relationship: Implications for the Region and Pakistan

Abstract

Saudi-Iran relation has gone through many ups and down since its diplomatic relations were established in 1929 via a friendship treaty. The Iranian revolution bitterer the already sour relations followed by the Iranian nuclear and its alleged support for the Hezbollah and other non-state actor which are considered by the Saudi leaders as Iranian proxies. In 1980s Saudi-Iran soured relations had given a chance to their immediate neighbor Iraq to set the region into war on which continued for almost a decade. Later on Gulf war provided a golden opportunity to foreign authorities for their permanent presence in the region. The presence of foreign forces in the area enhanced Iran-Saudi Arabia differences especially after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The two rivals have fought economically, militarily, and ideologically, making the resource-rich region prone to continued violence. After the complete shutdown in 2016, the relations has been revived with the support of China in 2023 which amazed the world. This paper is an analysis of the revitalization of relations between these two powers and its implication for the region and Pakistan.