Abstract
Arafat offers an in-depth analysis of Iranian-Saudi geopolitical rivalry in the Persian Gulf. This chapter analyzes Saudi-Iran geopolitical rivalry and power struggle for achieving regional hegemony; conceptualization of Saudi-Iranian geopolitical rivalry; Saudi-Iranian geopolitical rivalry for regional hegemony in Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. This chapter argues that Iranian-Saudi rivalry is motivated by geopolitical considerations for spreading regional influence rather than sectarianism and division between Shia-Sunni sect, despite the fact that sectarianism is a component of the region culture, particularly in Saudi Arabia. This chapter concludes that Saudi Arabia failed to leverage this threat perception into effective regional balancing against Iran. Saudi Arabia has failed in its geopolitical rivalry with Iran in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.
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Arafat, A.AD. (2020). Iranian-Saudi Geopolitical Rivalry. In: Regional and International Powers in the Gulf Security. Middle East Today. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43316-1_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43316-1_5
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Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-43315-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-43316-1
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