Arabian Gulf or Persian Gulf? : an investigation into the conflictual relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran

Abstract

This thesis sets out to examine the conflictual relations between two major Gulf states: Saudi Arabia and Iran. In doing so, it places the conflict in the context of the geopolitical, the religious, the economic and the ethno-tribal areas of interest. It also adopts the twin approaches of International Relations, namely realism and constructivism. While acknowledging that these approaches have traditionally been considered antithetical to each other, the thesis makes the claim that a balanced approach is necessary to an understanding of a complex situation. Thus, realism allows for an analysis of the security dilemmas experienced by key decision-makers such as Ibn Sa’ud in Saudi Arabia and Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran in the process of state formation. On the other hand, constructivism allows for an in-depth study of the way in which various religious and ethno-tribal groups articulate their identity, thus leading to irredentism and identity incongruence. The thesis concludes that while disputes can and do arise in the various political, religious, economic and ethno-tribal areas, it is the indissoluble link between political power and religious authority which is the major source of conflict in the Gulf region, proving once more that internal security is often bought at the expense of external security.