Saudi Arabia and Iran have, what can lightly be described as, a “tense relationship”.
The two majority Islamic countries are geographically separated by only a few miles of Persian Gulf.
But ideologically, politically, and culturally, the gap is much wider.
Currently, the two are engaged in a “proxy war” in Yemen, with both sides recruiting
allies in order to influence middle eastern affairs.
So, why do Saudi Arabia and Iran hate each other?*
Well, back in 1929 the future looked bright for the two nations.
They’d signed the “Saudi-Iranian Friendship Treaty” and diplomatic relations were on
the rise.
However, sometime in the 60s, the conservative nature of Saudi Arabia ruffled feathers in
the modernizing Iran.
Anecdotally, Iran’s king or Shah was said to have reached out to Saudi Arabia’s King,
saying, “Please, my brother, modernize.
Open up your country...
Let women wear miniskirts.
Have discos.
Be modern.”
In response, the Saudi king replied, “You are not the Shah of France...
You are in Iran.
Your population is 90 percent Muslim.
Please don't forget that."
In fact, despite both countries being predominantly Muslim, each has a different, and opposing,
Islamic sect as the religious majority.
In short, the Saudis follow Wahhabism, also called Salafism, an ultra-conservative sect
of the Sunni faith, while Iranians are mostly “Twelvers” of the Shia faith.
The divide between Shia and Sunni is largely based on who they believe is the true successor
of Islam’s prophet, Muhammad.
Most of the world’s Muslims identify as Sunni, and nearly half of the world’s Shiites
live in Iran.
In 1979, Iran underwent a revolution that ousted the westernized, US-backed Shah, and
instituted an Islamic republic led by a religious authority, Ayatollah Khomeini.
The now anti-US Iran began openly condemning Saudi Arabia’s religious authority and support
for the US.
In the late 80s, possibly spurred by Saudi Arabia and the US’s significant backing
of Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War, the Ayatollah made a number of inflammatory comments.
After calling the Saudis a “band of heretics”, diplomatic relations between the two countries
stalled.
But by 2007, tensions had relaxed enough that the Iranian President visited Saudi Arabia
as a friendly gesture.
In 2011 there was an assassination attempt by Iranian nationals against the Saudi ambassador
to the US.
At the same time, Iran supported Syrian president Bashar-al Assad against US and Saudi forces
during the Syrian civil war.
This reignited Iran and Saudi Arabia’s ideologically rivalry.
Since the 1960s, the two countries have been fighting for influence and control of the
Middle East along religious and political lines.
Currently they are engaged in a proxy war in Yemen, exemplifying the Sunni/Shia East/West
divide.
If you want to learn more about the conflict in Yemen and Saudi Arabia and Iran’s fight
to control the Middle East, check out these two videos.
One’s all about where Yemen’s civil war started, and the one below is about how it’s
essentially become a proxy war.
Thanks for watching!