The tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran are major variables having profound impact on regional politics. Scholars and observers argue that they are sectarian conflicts and believe that they will cause more serious tensions. I would argue that the conflicts are actually between nation states with religious overtones. As a result, the prospect of this round of Saudi-Iran conflicts will be limited and the implications will be complicated.

Geopolitics is the realm of major powers. Regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Iran are also players in the geopolitical game in the Middle East. With the decline of U.S. influence in the region, their roles will expand in the coming future. This has already been reflected by the recent activism of the regional powers.

While global powers like the U.S. and Russia might make use of their political, economic and military means to realize their geopolitical ambitions, Saudi and Iran have adopted religion as one of their major instruments in achieving their geopolitical objectives as religion is the very factor that defines the culture of the region. To put it another way, the bonds of religious identity have been employed to build alliances.

On the one hand, both Saudi Arabia and Iran are nation states, and actually they cannot avoid the over-arching structure of the nation-state international system. They both have every characteristic of modern nation states. They have central governments managing their respective states, they have clear borders with their neighbors, they have citizens who identify with their national identities and they are both members of the United Nations and other important international institutions. What's more, the two are both working for the interests of the regimes and the people within their territories.

But on the other hand, both of the two would like to employ religion to promote their influence and interests externally. As a major representative of the Sunni states, Saudi Arabia always portrays itself as the guardian of the two holy sites of the Islamic world, and takes every opportunity to promote its religious influence. It has spent a lot of time and money building mosques and religious schools in other Muslim countries. Saudi Arabia certainly means to build its status and image as the leader of the Sunni countries in the Middle East and also the world.

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