The Gateway SPI Strategic Policies & Ideas
Farzad Ramezani Bonesh
After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran and Saudi Arabia cut off their diplomatic relations twice and their relations witnessed ups and downs.
After seven years of severe relations, the two countries started negotiations with the aim of reducing tensions with the mediation of foreign actors, and finally on April 7, 2023, with the mediation of China, in a joint statement, they committed to resume diplomatic relations, reviving relations and activating embassies.
With several important milestones of reopening embassies and consulates, exchange of personnel, official declaration of relations, first official visit of foreign ministers and visits to each other’s capitals, mutual official invitations, and exchange of ambassadors, the process of relations is improving step by step. However, it must be said that the relations between the two countries can bring opportunities.
Diplomatic opportunities and political cooperation
With the official establishment of ambassadors of Iran and Saudi Arabia in the capitals of the two countries, the relations between the two countries were officially upgraded to the level of ambassadors, which is the highest level of diplomatic relations.
In the recent summer, we witnessed the first visit of Iran’s foreign minister to Saudi Arabia after seven years of breaking diplomatic relations.
After the consultations between the two countries and the first telephone call between the President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the recent collaboration for the extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, and taking decisions on Palestine, have caused closer cooperation in regional crises.
In fact, the continuation of convergence in the relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia can have more positive effects in many crises such as Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, etc., or lead to the increase of relations and the normalization of relations such as Iran with Sudan, Egypt, and Bahrain.
Also, more cooperation in some international and regional institutions such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, and even the creation of a regional economic union can be a win-win. The creation of a regional security organization (with executive guarantees and a commission to resolve disputes in the region) and a collective security system in the Persian Gulf region, including comprehensive political-economic-security-military-cultural cooperation centered on Iran and Saudi Arabia, is also an important opportunity.
This opportunity can include issues such as expanding multilateral cooperation in the field of fighting terrorism and sharing information to deal with the threats of extremism, drug trafficking, and transnational crimes.
Earlier, Iran proposed joint nuclear cooperation in the region. Now, the plan of a joint consortium to enrich the region, committed to not building nuclear bombs, increasing nuclear safety, and its peaceful nature is an opportunity for trust-building.
It should also be noted that better relations between Tehran and Riyadh can actually have positive effects on solving Iran’s nuclear issue. Even now, the negotiations have entered a new phase and better negotiations have been formed.
In another dimension, the security agreement of 2001 between Iran and Saudi Arabia is limited. Therefore, finalizing a comprehensive non-aggression pact as the basis of future security relations may not be far from reach.
Apart from the meeting of the military officials of the two countries in Moscow last summer, the continuation of consultations and meetings can lead to holding direct military negotiations, building military trust, reducing mistrust, informing, and exchanging information about each other’s motives and goals in military maneuvers, and avoiding from mistakes and tension. Also, the formation of a defense pact or a non-aggression pact can lead to more cooperation and avoid proxy encounters and high costs for both countries.
Expansion of climatic change, cultural, and sports relations
The Middle East emits a lot of greenhouse gases and faces environmental challenges such as the deterioration of soil conditions, reduction of water reserves, lack of rain, the occurrence of drought, and lack of vegetation and dust storms.
Cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia to jointly deal with climate change and global warming can lead to regional agreements and strategies, reducing social and economic losses, and reducing the risks of mass migrations, conflicts, and political and even military differences. In recent months, there have been signs of better cooperation between Tehran and Riyadh in this field.
Participation of Iran and Saudi Arabia in each other’s cultural events, reviving bilateral cultural relations, promoting gentle and moderate language in the media and using common historical and cultural heritage, expanding sports cooperation, increasing mutual tourism, facilitating the issuance of visas, establishing more flights and ..can lead to strengthening the dimensions of multilateral cooperation.
Also, the formula of reducing the difference and resolving the tension over the football match between two Saudi-Iranian teams was important. Approaches such as Iran’s support for Saudi Arabia’s candidacy to host the 2034 World Cup and the proposal of Iranian and Saudi sports teams can be extended to other areas as well.
Energy, Geo-economics and economics cooperation
With global oil and gas reserves, strengthening Iranian-Saudi cooperation in OPEC can make common interests more accessible. Iran’s electricity, oil, and gas industry needs 130 billion dollars of investment and Saudi Arabia can play an important role.
In the field of petrochemicals, the power of Saudi companies to invest in Iran is important.
Despite some disagreements in common oil and gas fields, both countries can turn competition into cooperation. Cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia can lead to the production of more suitable renewable energies.
Cooperation in food security, participation in the joint development of the land-rail transportation infrastructures of both sides, strengthening multilateral cooperation in logistics projects of the North-South Corridor, China’s One-Belt, One-Road initiative, Saudi Arabia-Iran rail connection project, joint interactions on lines Air and sea, etc. can benefit the economy of the two countries.
Vision
The profile of the Middle East is changing. There are some serious obstacles such as the military and naval strategy of both sides in promoting the relations between the two countries. The future reaction of Iran and Saudi Arabia to sensitive issues (such as the recent gas field dispute) is also essential.
Israel’s military presence near Iran and Saudi Arabia’s military and security convergence with Israel may have a negative impact on relations.
because of some distrust, essential security issues have not been resolved, and the lack of a mechanism to reduce security tensions, and American sanctions, there is little chance for immediate expansion of economic cooperation.
However, the existence of vision programs and coexistence is a necessity. The two countries can complement each other’s weaknesses. Riyadh has many capabilities to invest in Iran’s economy. It seems that the two sides consider the evaluation of the progress of relations as positive, but it has not yet turned into a real rapprochement in all fields.
The upcoming visit of the Iranian president to Riyadh or the departure of the Saudi crown prince to Tehran to follow up on plans and sign agreements will be a step in the process of improving and strengthening relations. In fact, the reconciliation, though still superficial, is much more stable than in 2011-22.
Farzad Ramezani Bonesh is an iranian analyst and journalist covering the Middle East and Asia
GSPI does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of GSPI, its staff, or its trustees.
