Cold War Dynamics: Analyzing the Rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia with a Focus on China’s Strategic Influence

Introduction

The concept of Cold War dynamics often refers to strategic rivalry between two statesthat use proxy war, ideological competition, and economic influence to establish controlwithout involving in direct conflict. The ongoing tension between Iran and Saudi Arabiais the best example of this phenomenon. As this Conflict poses a serious threat toGlobal peace and economy, it is crucial to keep in mind that this tussle is rooted inhistory.

The strategic rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is about religion, oil, andArab Supremacy, and the superpowers like the US, and Russia only played a role to widened thegap. West Asia is widely recognized as the origin of major religions. It is also the CentralHub of religious and sectarian Conflict. Iran is the Shia majority state while Saudi Arabiais the Sunni Muslim supremacy.  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the homeland of Meccaand the origin of Islam. Saudi Arabia recognized itself as the leader of the Muslim worldwhile Iran challenged this view. But this rivalry is not just about religion, it is more thanthat. China has recently emerged as a significant force in this region capitalizing on itseconomic power and neutral stance to impact this rivalry.

 Historical background

This rivalry started at the end of the Second World War. Before and during World War ll Reza Shah Pahlavi had close economic ties with Germany. Britain and Russiaattacked Iran to gain control of its oil reserves due to their perception that Germanymight use Iran as a base and manipulate its government.

Sectarian, Ideological, and Proxy Conflicts

The 1979 Iranian revolutionand the Iraq war were the second seminal moments in the Saudi - Iran Conflict. Saudi Arabiaviewed the revolution as a Shia-dominated uprising. The rise of Iran was not a good signfor Saudi Arabia's hegemony. Iran proclaimed itself as an Islamic Republic and chose a strong anti-western stance. The secular policies of the Shah regime gave way to radicalShia Ideologies While Saudi Arabia with its fundamentalist Wahabism views Iran as achallenge to its dominance. A conflict emerged, a proxy emerged and it was Iraq. Soon afterthe revolution in Iran, Saddam Hussain attacked Iran. During the Iran-Iraq war, SaudiArabia was the main supporter of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, seeing it as a shieldagainst the revolutionary agenda of Iran.

In recent times, both rivals have been involved in proxy wars in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. InYemen for instance Iran backs the Houthi rebels while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia leads analliance of supporting the internationally recognized government. Similarly in Syria, Iranstands with President Bashar al-Assad in contrast Saudi Arabia supports theopposition forces. In Lebanon, Iran endorses Hezbollah, which is a powerful Shiamilitary and political organization. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia supports the SunniPolitical groups to counter the Iranian Influence.

Economic Rivalry and Oil Politics

In the Middle East, both Iran and Saudi Arabia have used their proxies to assert their dominance in the region. This rivalry is not limited to military and ideological spheresand expands to the economic and institutional zones. For leadership within OPEC, bothrivals compete with each other and their conflict in oil policies exacerbates tensionswithin the organization. Iran under the sanctions wants to make its oil exportsmaximum, while Saudi Arabia has the greater capacity of oil production and used oil asan instrument to become a significant actor in the global markets.

China’s Strategic Role in the Middle East

The entry of China into the Middle East and its increasing presence in this region haschanged the dynamics of the Iran-Saudi rivalry. Through its Belt and Road initiative, Chinahas built strong economic ties with both rivals and mainly focuses on trade and thebetterment of infrastructure. To neutralize the US pressure and the impact of economicsanctions Iran has strategically aligned itself with China. Iran also seeks goodrelations with China as an instrument of Strengthening its position against the Kingdomof Saudi Arabia. Iran wants to gain influence in this region by making strategic militaryand economic ties with Beijing while focusing on ideological and geopoliticalgoals. However, Iran's dependency on China is not without risks, as China's strategy mayprioritize economic interests over ideological alliances.

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia seeks China as a significant market to export its oil anda partner in its Vision 2030 initiative aiming to expand its economic activities. Thelargest importer of Saudi oil is China and also both nations have strong cooperation intrade, technology, and defense departments. Even with these strong ties, China balancesits relationships with both Saudi Arabia and Iran and has managed well to maintain aneutral stance.

China’s Mediation Efforts in the Saudi-Iran Rivalry

 The mediation role of China became more manifest in 2023 when it negotiated areconciliation between these two rivals. This reunion marked an important shift inthe geopolitics of the Middle East, as China successfully took advantage of its goodeconomic ties and politically neutral stance to foster dialogue. Unlike the Western powers,their approach is based partisan, and the US always favors Saudi Arabia while theChina approach prioritizes non-interference policy and economic cooperationestablishing it as a reliable ally.

Global Implications of the Iran-Saudi Cold War

The Cold War between Iran and Saudi Arabia has had a major impact on the environment ofthe Middle East and on the political landscape of the global world. In the region, the conflictfueled the instability and perpetuated sectarian conflict and proxy wars in countries likeSyria and Yemen. This unstable environment can hinder economic development andlead to a humanitarian crisis which further destabilizes the region. Globally thisstrategic rivalry has a profound impact on energy markets. As we know both Iran andSaudi Arabia are the world's largest oil producers, and any severe conflict between them candisturb the supply chain of oil which can lead to price volatility. This phenomenonposes a significant pressure on global economies mainly in energy-dependent regionslike Europe and Asia. China’s eyes on this region introduce a new complex layer. China's mediation strategy is based on soft power rather than coercion. China balanced itsrelationship with both regional powers. However, China's influence also has some limits.No doubt China's emphasis on economic cooperation plays a crucial role in maintainingstability but the fact is that China cannot resolve the deep-rooted ideological andsectarian conflict single-handedly.

Western Powers’ Response to China’s Growing Influence

Western powers like the US and its allies have expressed concerns over China's strategic influence in the Middle East, especially the China mediator role in the Saudi-Iran rivalry. The US has tried to strengthen its security and economic ties with Saudi Arabia, Israel, and other regional key players. To balance the China Belt and Road initiative program, European countries enhance the investment initiative and trade in the Middle East. The US increased its military ratio in the Gulf region and NATO members cooperated with Gulf states to counter the Chinese military influence. Western think tanks and policymakers have stated that China focuses only on its economic interests rather than resolving deep political tensions.

Conclusion:

In Conclusion, the Cold War between Iran and Saudi Arabia was influenced by deep-rooted historical, sectarian, and geopolitical factors and posed a serious threat to the Middle East stability and energy markets globally. China's rapidly increasing dominance in the Middle East is a sign that the Middle East has become a multipolar where nations strengthen their ties with global powers to balance their interest. Cooperation in regional security, encouragement of dialogue, and de-escalation of proxy wars are important to attain long-term stability. Moving forward, the partnership in trade, joint investment in energy initiatives, and economic cooperation between. Iran and Saudi Arabia make both rivals economically interdependent which discourages the conflicts. Additionally, the international community needs to establish a regional security framework to address the security issues of the Middle East because it is necessary to resolve this deep-rooted long-standing rivalry.