A Study of Iran-Saudi Confrontation in the Region According to the Theory of Proxy War

Recent regional developments in Yemen, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq have affected the security of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia as two regional powers, resulting in the clash of their interests. Drawing upon the descriptive-analytical method and using the proxy war approach, the authors examine policies made and actions taken by Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran towards each other in recent Middle Eastern crises. Reviewing grounds for the conflict between the two nations, the authors seek to answer the question that in what ways Iran and Saudi Arabia seek to confront each other’s goals and interests in the region. The main hypothesis of the research indicates that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia make efforts to prevent superiority and dominance of the other party by supporting their allied groups and governments in the region without resorting to direct fighting.