Saudi – Iran Strife: Complexities for Pakistan

Abstract

This qualitative research analyzes the complexities for Pakistan regarding Saudi-Iran relationships. Saudi Arabia has serious reservations regarding asymmetric power and regional ambitions of Iran along with its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons. A particular concern founded in Riyadh is the challenge to the legitimacy of the AlSaud family in the face of regional and domestic audiences by upstaging it on Pan-Arab issues especially after 1979. Pakistan has a long history of close relationship with Iran as an immediate neighbor and Saudi Arabia as an extremely crucial strategic partner. These worst bilateral relations between the two regional rivals left limited choices for Islamabad. Though Pakistan tried hard to create a balance between both, yet Pakistan found it very difficult to maintain that balance, as both the rivals are stuck in a security dilemma and zero sum game, where victory or benefit of one is the loss for the other and a friend of one is perceived an enemy by the other.