Dynamic Balancing: A Framework for Analyzing Saudi Arabia's Balancing against the Islamic Republic of Iran

Balancing has been an important element of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy towards Iran following the Islamic Revolution in this country. This approach of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been mainly influenced by the threat that its leaders perceive the Islamic Republic of Iran poses to them, a perception that has been reproduced almost continuously for four decades for various reasons. The type of balancing strategy, though, has been subject to change over time between internal and external balancing in different periods. This descriptive-analytical study was conducted to answer the question: "Why has the type of Saudi Arabia's balancing strategy against the Islamic Republic of Iran changed over the past four decades?" Drawing on the dynamic balancing theory, and given the persistent threat that the leaders of Saudi Arabia perceive the Islamic Republic of Iran poses to them, the findings of this research  suggest that the change in Saudi Arabia's balancing strategy against the Islamic Republic of Iran is  caused  by the change in the  polarity in  the international system. Moreover, the tendency toward internal balancing has grown as multipolarity has arrived in this system.