Saudi Arabia and the application of Iran's control policies in Bahrain

پژوهش ‎های جغرافیای سیاسی

Volume 6, Issue 4 - Serial Number 24, July 2021, Pages 66-92   

Document Type: مقالات علمی -پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/pg.2021.27167.0

Authors

Hamid Doraj^{* 1}; Kazem Norani Benam²

¹PhD student in International Relations, University of Gilan, Gilan,Iran.

²M.A. in Political Sciences. Payame Noor University. Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Saudi officials have always considered Bahrain to be part of their national security zone and believe that any change in the governing structure of the emirate will have a decisive influence on the Saudi kingdom's structure. Saudi Arabia considers Iran's role as a political threat to its regional goals and policies in Bahrain's political equations. As a result, the country has struggled to curtail Iran's influence in Bahrain. This research seeks to answer the main question What is Saudi Arabia's policy to control and control Iran in Bahrain? The research hypothesis is that Saudi Arabia has sought to maintain its regional allies with the aim of preventing the development of Iran's influence and power in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia's policy towards the Bahraini popular movement is to use repressive means to prevent Bahrain's internal developments from spilling over into its geographical territory. This research is shaped by the theory of aggressive realism.

Keywords

Saudi Arabia; Iran; Bahrain; Defensive Realism; Regional Competition

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