Ideological Determinants of the Current Saudi-Iranian Rivalry in the Middle East
Ideological Determinants of the Current Saudi-Iranian Rivalry in the Middle East

Summary/Abstract: The Saudi-Iranian rivalry reached a dramatic climax at the very beginning of January 2016. Undoubtedly, Iran and Saudi Arabia represent two distinct political systems and two different approaches to foreign policy making. The question is, however, what are the reasons for these differences. It is a well-known fact that both Iranian and Saudi political systems are based on Islamic values. Yet the main difference is that their main principles stem from two divergent interpretations of Islam. The main aim of the article is to point up the main ideological differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia which directly or indirectly shape their foreign policies. Do they play a decisive role as far as the current tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia are concerned? As far as sources are concerned, the analysis is based on official documents issued by Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Iran and Saudi Arabia as well as selected monographs and academic articles.

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