Saudi Arabia Cares More About Iran Than Iran Does About Saudi Arabia

Dina Esfandiary, Ariane Tabatabai

Politics, Middle East

For Tehran, Riyadh is little more than an afterthought.

It’s often assumed that Saudi Arabia is as big a concern to Iran as Tehran is to Riyadh. Recent statements by Iranian officials seem to confirm this, as do recent Iranian efforts to derail Saudi influence in the region. But while Iran is indeed Saudi Arabia’s most important foreign policy concern, Saudi Arabia isn’t even in Iran’s top concerns. This mismatch in threat perceptions further destabilizes the region.

Fears of regional Iranian hegemony are longstanding and visceral. The rivalry is multilayered: political, religious, cultural and ethnic. Tehran has always been a force to be reckoned with in the region—something it doesn’t hesitate to remind the Arabs of. Iran also increasingly uses its proxy groups to assert itself in the region, which the Saudis view as illegitimate interference in Arab affairs.

For Saudi Arabia, the essence of the threat is not a potential Iranian invasion; rather, it is that Tehran consistently questions the House of Saud’s political and regional legitimacy. For example, Iranian officials question Riyadh’s guardianship of the most important Muslim holy sites. Last month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the Sauds as “puny Satans” and “heartless, murderous Saudis.” He continued, “the world of Islam must fundamentally reconsider the management of the two holy places and the issue of Hajj.” Saudi Arabia rightfully feels Iran talks down to it, making it clear that it doesn’t take Riyadh seriously.

In response, Saudi Arabia adopted a more assertive multitiered regional strategy to counter Iran. This further intensified the rivalry and led to the opening of new fronts. In Syria, Riyadh opposes any peace plan that involves keeping the Assad regime, Iran’s protégé, in place. Riyadh’s campaign in Yemen is intended to check perceived Iranian presence in its own backyard. Riyadh is also upping its presence in Afghanistan—traditionally an Iranian arena—by supporting various groups that undermine Iranian influence. After all, Afghanistan is to Iran what Yemen is to Saudi Arabia.