Through the Prism of Iran

Arguably any nation’s foreign policy begins with an understanding of its security concerns.  To understand Saudi Arabia’s current foreign policy, often confusing to many given its current venture into Yemen, one must first assess security considerations as the Saudis see them.  Their view is different than it is in the West.

When we in the United States, for example, think of the word “security,” we do so in the context of external threats. Only recently has the notion of homeland security come into vogue, and even then, it is primarily concerned with external threats penetrating into the United States.  When we think of security, we always think “outside-in.”  Moreover, while “deterrence” has always been the operative word in describing nuclear security, “defense” is a more apt description for how we deal with conventional threats.  We do not so much focus on deterring conventional threats; we defend against them, either through defensive systems at home or proactive and often kinetic operations abroad.  Neither of these concepts applies to Saudi Arabia.