Saudi Arabia and Iran - (Identities and Geopolitics in the Middle East) by Simon Mabon & Edward Wastnidge (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Since 1979, the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran - the two major powers in the Muslim world - has played a prominent role in shaping Middle Eastern politics. Political in nature yet couched in Islamic rhetoric, this rivalry reflects a desire to ensure regime security and legitimacy while also increasing influence across the Middle East. Since the 2003 Iraq War, the relationship has become increasingly vitriolic, resulting in the emergence of proxy conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen. This book argues that to understand regional politics, comprehension of the rivalry between Riyadh and Tehran is essential.

An electronic edition of this book is freely available under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.

From the Back Cover

This edited collection explores the Saudi-Iranian rivalry and its effects on regional and domestic politics across the Middle East.

Following the Arab Uprisings of the early 2010s and the resulting fragmentation of regime-society relations, communal relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have continued to degenerate. Societal actors have retreated into sub-state identities, and difference has become an increasing source of violence, which has begun to spill over state borders. At the same time, the power of religion - and the trans-state nature of religious linkages - has provided a means for the two countries to exert influence over a number of groups across the region.

Examining how the rivalry is perceived in both countries, this volume offers in-depth explorations of the impact on five regional states: Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, Lebanon and Yemen, all sites of contestation between Riyadh and Tehran, albeit in different guises. In doing so, it highlights how the rivalry is shaped by the contingencies of time and space.

Review Quotes

'This is an impressive volume in its scope and its ability to capture nuance in a relationship that is often subject to generalisations and simplified analysis. Wastnidge and Mabon have assembled a solid group of scholars who have managed to make an important and original contribution to a topic that has lately been studied a great deal. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in a serious understanding of the complex relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran.'
Mehran Kamrava, Professor of Government, Georgetown University Qatar

'Not only does this volume provide a fascinating account of how the Saudi-Iranian rivalry has played out across time and space and impacted regional and domestic politics across the Middle East. It also shows how a stronger dialogue between IR theory and Middle East studies can offer insights into Middle East politics that go beyond the well-known politics v. piety debate.'
Morten Valbjørn, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University

About the Author

Edward Wastnidge is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies at the Open University

Simon Mabon is Chair of International Politics at Lancaster University