The Function of Language as a Security Tool: Analysis of King Salman's Speech at the Riyadh Summit

Since assuming office in 2015, King Salman, Saudi Arabia’s approach toward Iran has shifted from a conservative defense policy to an aggressive conservative policy. The Saudi officials have frequently attempted to define Iran as an international threat in their meetings and interviews. The current research investigates King Salman's speech at the Riyadh meeting to show how Saudi officials, particularly King Salman, have used the concepts of "security maker" and the use of "language" as tools of "verbal action" to portray the Islamic Republic of Iran as a "security threat" in the Middle East region. The research method in this article is Norman Fairclough’s " of Critical Discourse Analysis", and Ole Weaver’s theory of "securitization". Findings of the article show that King Salman condemned the Islamic Republic of Iran at the summit by using the words in international law and the delicate basis of his theological power on current issues in the international community as well as the general demands of international conventions. And in this way, it will convince the audience about the security of Iran with the content of its words.