Title: Objectives of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy in Yemen and Bahrain
Author: Amin Nazi
creator: International Relations Institute
Date of publication: 1/1402
Broadcast Center Phone: 09125645463
Price: 150 thousand tomans
cut off: minister
Number of pages: 132
International Relations Think Tank: The changes in Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy in recent years, along with the changes in governance and the coming to power of the third generation of Saudi princes, have been one of the most important internal and external developments in this country, especially since bin Salman came to power in this country. Saudi Arabia, as one of the key players in the Middle East region, has been known for having a conservative approach in foreign policy during the past decades and is known mainly as an actor in favor of the status quo and against change. But during the last few years, the foreign policy behaviors of this country in the regional arena have shown that this country has passed the tradition of conservatism in foreign policy and a strong tendency to pursue an aggressive foreign policy. In this regard, the full-scale military attack on Yemen, the active and widespread presence in the Bahrain crisis and the suppression of its protests in the form of support for the ruling Al-Khalifa political system, along with the countermeasures against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all indicate that Saudi Arabia is entering a different stage. And what has become new in its foreign policy in this chapter, along with the analysis of the regional policies of this kingdom, needs a basic explanation and analysis. Therefore, in this research, while examining the regional policies of this country, the comparison of its foreign policy strategy towards two northern countries – Bahrain – and southern countries – Yemen – is discussed.
Introduction to the book:
Foreign policy is a set of discourses, attitudes, approaches, orientations and actions that are implemented by various departments of a country’s government in relation to other governments in the international arena. Foreign policy is considered the most important aspect of social-political life of nations and countries, because their survival depends on foreign policy (Qawam, 2014: 68).
During its lifetime, Saudi Arabia has had a stable foreign policy according to the traditions and characteristics of the country’s political system, but in the recent decade (2010-2020), Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy performance has gone out of the traditional format. Due to the changes in the internal, regional and international conditions of the Saudi regime, the foreign policy behavior patterns of this country have changed from a conservative mode to an aggressive and security-oriented behavior. Bahrain is one of the private areas of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy. Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Bahrain should be examined in the context of a power’s relationship with its peripheral region. With the separation of Bahrain from Iran in 1971, Saudi Arabia tried to fill the void of Iran’s existence and turn it into its area of influence with a Sunni majority. Bahrain is geographically located within the territorial waters of Saudi Arabia, and for this reason, Saudi Arabia follows the developments of this country from a security point of view. In 1986, this country established a land connection with Bahrain through the establishment of the 15 km long, 40 m wide and 15 m high King Fahd bridge from the sea level and practically made this country dependent on itself (Dosti, 2015: 215).
Protest demonstrations by the people of Bahrain began in 2011, following the expansion of the Arab protests. These protests were held in connection with the request for political and economic reforms in the country. Three days after the fall of Mubarak, protesters gathered in Lo Lo square in Bahrain and raised their demands from the government. The protestors’ request is to establish a constitutional monarchy through the drafting of a new constitution, according to which the government will be determined by the people and based on democracy, the release of Shia political activists and people detained since 2010, the formation of political parties, freedom of speech and opinion from the demands It is protestors (Dosti, 2016:216).
With the intensification of protests and clashes between protesters and government forces, on February 15, 2011, two protesters were killed in Lulu Square, as a result of which Sheikh Hamad Emir of Bahrain apologized for the killing of protesters and legalized peaceful protests in a televised speech. knew Saudi Arabia, which at this time saw itself surrounded by Arab revolutions, turned to police methods and repression due to the concern of igniting people’s anger and the spread of Arab developments to its country due to discrimination and injustice in society, and by sending its military forces to Bahrain on March 15, 2011 to suppress the popular uprising and the military forces of the Saudi National Guard entered Bahrain through the King Fahd Bridge that connects the two countries and based on the Island Shield Treaty and while creating a military position in the country to They suppressed the opposition (Dosti, 2017: 217).
Saudi Arabia’s policy towards developments in Bahrain can be considered aggressive. Based on this policy, Saudi Arabia sent its military forces to Bahrain under the pretext of helping the troubled situation of Bahrain in the form of the Shield Island Treaty. After that, Emirati forces entered Bahrain. By adopting an aggressive policy against the status of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia was trying to achieve the following goals:
1- Preventing the formation and strengthening of democracy in Bahrain
2- Maintaining stability and security in the region
3- Eliminating the concern of Shia gaining power in Bahrain and their connection with Iran
4- Inducing the affiliation of Shiites and opponents to the Islamic Republic of Iran
5- Intensification of differences, divisions and factions among Shiites
6- Also gaining international support for Al Khalifa regime (Dosti, 218-217: 1390-1390).
The developments in Yemen affected by the developments in the Arab countries (Egypt) started on February 11, 2011, simultaneously with the fall of Hosni Mubarak. The young Yemeni revolutionaries, along with other parties and opposition groups, demanded the resignation of Ali Abdullah Saleh, the country’s president, and political, economic and social reforms.
The opponents of Ali Abdullah Saleh have different political, religious, separatism, etc. demands. With the increase of conflicts in Yemen and due to the armed groups in the country, which brought the possibility of a civil war of the Libyan type, the plan of the Persian Gulf Council was presented with the support of Saudi Arabia. According to this plan, Saleh was allowed to step down from power. River and instead gained immunity from punishment and persecution. This plan was rejected by Saleh. He then attacked his tribal rivals and shortly after on June 3, 2011, he was injured in an attack on the presidential palace and went to Riyadh for treatment. The action of the Saudis regarding the developments in Yemen can be described as; He observed 1- support, 2- military aid, 3- political, 4- and bargaining with favorable and aligned parties (Dosti, 2010: 221). Also, in the 7-year war, Saudi Arabia has looked at Yemen based on aggressive power and advanced its foreign policy goals based on aggressive realism.
The performance and political behavior of Saudi Arabia is different in the developments of different countries and according to the interests of this country. Al Saud Dreyman and Bahrain, by using hard power and creating regional military alliances, launched a military attack on these countries in order to preserve the governments of those countries, while The desire of the people of Yemen and Bahrain was evident in their slogans such as (Al-Sha’b Yardasqat al-Nazim). In response to the developments in Syria, the Saudis did their best to bring down the Syrian government by providing financial and military support to Bashar Assad’s military opposition groups and ISIS-affiliated terrorists (Javadani Moghadam, Harirforosh, 2017: 52).
In general, Riyadh’s diplomacy since 1933 has been fighting against foreign threats and the nature, nature and source of threats that determine the country’s foreign policy towards other countries. Unlike other countries, this country is not a natural political unit with a historical background. with a centralized government and not a strong common identity, therefore, the foreign policy of this country has been easily influenced by regional and sometimes international developments and currents that have threatened the security of Saudi Arabia. Knowing the foreign policy of Saudi Arabia has its own complexity and interactions. Decision The recipients of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy use regional policy to maintain the political stability of the regime in the face of internal and external challenges. This security may be threatened through military threats or competing transnational ideologies (Gause, 2011:177).
The present book, which is collected with library documents using descriptive-analytical and comparative method, tries to answer the question of how to explain and analyze the goals of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy in West Asia? The hypothesis of the research is in the framework of neoclassical (aggressive) realism that Saudi Arabia in Bahrain has goals such as preventing the formation and strengthening of democracy, intensifying differences, divisions and factions among Shiites and maintaining stability and security in the region. And also in Yemen, it pursues its foreign policy with political, support and military goals, and the distinguishing feature of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy behavior in Yemen and Bahrain is military and civilian, respectively.
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