Regional Geopolitical Rivalries in the Middle East: Implications for Europe

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of International Relations, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Rafsanjan Branch, Rafsanjan, Iran

2 PhD Student in International Law, Islamic Azad University, Kish Branch, Kish, Iran

10.22080/jpir.2020.2954

Abstract

Abstract :Abstract: The Middle East faces a fragile and turbulent decade ahead. A forceful obstacle to sustainable peace and development in the region has been the heated rivalry unfolding between Iran and those countries opposed to it led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, and strongly supported by the US. The Donald Trump administration’s aggressive stance on Iran is likely to fuel the regional tensions. The question is, "What are the consequences of the geopolitical rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the European countries and how can the European Union play a role in the process of stability and security in the Middle East?" Its a hypothesis, European actors need to delicately navigate the region’s geopolitical tensions and use the limited leverage they have to push against the current trend towards greater instability and perhaps a wider interregional and global conflict. The findings of this research have shown that if Europe does not act decisively on the issues of the Middle East and Iran's nuclear agreement and does not resist American unilateralism, Europe will face problems in the Middle East, including the refugee crisis and security problems. This research is a descriptive-analytical and Futurology research method.

Keywords


واعظی، محمود (1395). «اروپا و مساله امنیت در خاورمیانه»، فصلنامه راهبرد، شماره 41.
Batmanghelidj, E.2018. “How Europe Can Block Trump”, in Foreign Policy, 16 May 2018, http://bit.ly/2KsZ6HV. 27 European External Action Service, Remarks by HR/VP Mogherini following a Ministerial meeting of E3/EU+2 and Iran, Brussels, 24 September 2018, https://europa.eu/!pT48RP.
Bayoumy, Yara. 2018.Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel, “Trump Seeks to Revive ‘Arab NATO’ to Confront Iran”, in Reuters, 27 July 2018, https://reut.rs/2OoO7C7. Also see: Hassan Ahmadian, “Why Iran Isn’t Concerned over US Plans for Arab Nato”, in Al-Monitor, 9 August 2018, http://almon.co/33cq.
Chmaytelli, Maher.2017. “Iraq Says Will Stay Clear of U.S.-Iran Tensions”, in Reuters, 11 February 2017, http://reut.rs/2lulqJ0.
Cohen, Saul Bernard (2003). quoted in Hensel and Paul F. Diehl, “Testing Empirical Propositions about Shatterbelts, 1945-1976”, from:www.paulhensel.org/Research/pgq94.pdf.
Cohen, Saul Bernard (2003). Geopolitics of the World System, Maryland, Rowman and Littlefield, 2003, p. 328.
Cohen, Saun Bernard (2009). Geopolitics: The Geography of International Relations, Maryland, Rowman and Littlefield, 2009, p. 362.
Declan, Walsh 2018. “Qatar Restores Full Relations with Iran, Deepening Gulf Feud”, in The New York
Times, 24 August 2017, https://nyti.ms/2vtkGnE.
Entous, Adam (2018). “Israeli, Saudi, and Emirati Officials Privately Pushed for Trump to Strike a ‘Grand Bargain’ with Putin”, in The New Yorkerk Times, 9 July 2018, https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/israeli-saudi-and-emirati-officials-privately-pushed-for-trump-to-strike-agrand-bargain-with-putin.
Factbox.2018. “Factbox: European Companies Respond to Latest Iran Sanctions”, in Reuters, 8 August 2018, https://reut.rs/2vScPCG.
Firas, Maksad and Kenneth M. Pollak.2018. “How Saudi Arabia Is Stepping Up in Iraq”, in Foreign
Affairs Snapshots, 21 August 2017, from:https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2017-08-.
Fitch, Asa. 2018. “Iran’s Spending on Foreign Conflicts Raises Protesters’ Ire”, in The Wall Street Journal,2 January 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/irans-spending-on-foreign-proxies-raises-protestersire-1514920398.
Geoffrey, Kemp and Robert Harkavy (2017). Strategic Geography and the Changing Middle East: Strategic Access to Middle East Resources: Lesson from History,from: https://acc. teachmideast.org/texts.php? module_id=4&reading_id=202&sequence.
Ghobashy, Tamer and Mustafa Salim2018. “U.S. Sanctions on Iran Hit an Unintended Target: Ordinary Iraqis”, in The Washington Post, 14 August 2018, from: https://wapo.st/2B6NFps.
Hensel, Paul. and Paul F. Diehl (1994). Testing Empirical Propositions about Shatterbelts, 1945-1976, Political Geography, Vol. 13, No. 1 pp. 33-51.
Hubbard,B.2018 “Saudi Crown Prince Likens Iran’s Supreme Leader to Hitler”, in TheNew York Times, 15 March 2018, https://nyti.ms/2FJmA9N.
Ignatius, David .2017. “Saudi Arabia Forcibly Detained Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Sources Say”, in The Washington Post, 10 November 2017, http://wapo.st/2zxIPzt.
Jeremy Bob, Yonah .2018“Ex Mossad Official: Israel, U.S., Saudis Can Help Regime Change in Iran”, in Jerusalem Post, 15 May 2018, https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Ex-Mossadofficial-Israel-US-Saudis-can-contribute-to-change-in-Iran-556502.
Karami, Arash .2016.“Iranian Officials Blame Aleppo Cease-fire Violations for Military Casualties”, in Al-Monitor, 10 May 2016, http://almon.co/2nox.
Khraiche, Dana.2018. “Iran-backed Forces Retreat from Golan, Jordan Border, Group Says”, in Bloomberg,21 June 2018, from: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-21/iran-backed-forces-retreatfrom-golan-jordan-border-group-says.
Michael, Elleman and Mark Fitzpatrick.2018. “Are Iran’s Ballistic Missiles Designed to Be Nuclear Capable?”, in IISS Analysis, 28 February 2018, from: https://www.iiss.org/blogs/ analysis/2018/02/iran-missiles-nuclear-capable.
Morris, Loveday, Ruth Eglash and Louisa Loveluck 2018. “Israel Launches Massive Military Strike against Iranian Targets in Syria”, in The Washington Post, 10 May 2018, https://wapo. st/2rydp67.
Mughrabi, Nidal and Jeffrey Heller,2018. “Israeli Forces Kill Dozens in Gaza as U.S. Embassy Opens in Jerusalem”, in Reuters, 14 May 2018, from:https://reut.rs/2rJmEQW.
Raya Jalabi, “Iran Seen as Winner After Iraq’s Kurds Lose Referendum Gamble”, in Reuters, 31 October 2017, https://reut.rs/2zmsONr.
Reuters .2016.“Regional Rival Iran Expresses Support for Turkey over Coup Attempt”, in Reuters, 16 July 2016, http://reut.rs/2a0DYIJ.
Reuters, 11 August2018, https://reut.rs/2B1vth1; Nicholas Cappuccino, “Baluch Insurgents in Iran”, in The Iran Primer, 5 April 2017, from:https://iranprimer.usip.org/node/3931.
Reuters.2017. “Iraqi-Shiite Leader Sadr Makes Rare Visit to Saudi Arabia”, in Reuters, 30 July 2017, from: http://reut.rs/2tPxXXQ.
UN Final Report2018. Off-the-record interviews with European and US officials, January–June 2018. UN Security Council, Final Report of the Panel of Experts on Yemen, 26 January 2018, from:http://undocs.org/S/2018/594.
Vakil, Sanam .2018. “Iran and the GCC. Hedging Pragmatism and Opportunism”, in Chatham House Research Papers, September 2018, https://www.chathamhouse.org/node/37521; Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, “Iran Urges Gulf States to ‘Seize the Opportunity’ of Rouhani”, in Reuters,14 February 2017, http://reut.rs/2kNOp92.
Yaalon, Moshe and Leehe Friedman.2018.  “Israel and the Arab States”, in Foreign AffairsSnapshots, 26 January 2918, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2018-01-26/israel-and-arab-states; Jonathan Marcus, “Israel and Saudi Arabia: The Relationship Emerging intothe Open”, in BBC, 3 April 2018, from:https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43632905.
Ziabari, K and Hashemi N (2019). “The Cold War between Iran and the Arab World”, Fair Observer, 25 January. Available at: https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/iranian-arab-relations-iran-arab-world-news-middle-east-politics-saudi-arabia-28031/ (accessed24 May 2019).