Causes of disputes in Iran and Saudi Arabia relations

The present study aims to study the causes of disputes in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations with emphasis on the post-Islamic Revolution period. At the core of the research, there is the question of whether sectarianism dominating the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Levent is primordial and revival of the ancient Shiite-Sunni sectarian hostility or a contemporary phenomenon that can be called politico-sectarianism. In other words, do Tehran and Riyadh use sectarianism as a political weapon for the sake of geopolitical and geostrategic goals? The study considers the subject in the framework of instrumentalism and constructivism theories. This dissertation follows an interpretive methodology in the context of the qualitative method. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources. According to this study, sectarian identity was socially constructed, manipulated and instrumentalized by Iranian and Saudi Arabian leaders and ruling elites and resulted in the emergence of politico-sectarianism and geosectarianism phenomenon that is one of the main causes of disputes in two states relations. The Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979, the US Invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the Arab Spring uprisings which started in 2011 and subsequent events are important turning points that have affected this phenomenon. Saudi Arabia, as a greedy actor, has pursued aggressive policies in the context of its hubristic identity against the rise of Iran and Shiites. Thus, power, influence and just narrative struggle has emerged between these two actors in the shatterbelt of the region. Moreover, Riyadh frustrated with the US offshore balancing strategy has resorted to the Omnibalancing strategy to contain and balance Iran. Keywords: Islamic Republic of Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, politico-sectarianism, instrumentalism, constructivism, disputes