Abstract :
The paper aims to critically consider the proposition maintaining that the
contemporary state of affairs between Iran and the Arab world results from
an endemic, deep-rooted enmity between these two peoples with roots in
the annals of history. To elucidate its argument, the paper offers a brief
review of the major ups and downs in the historical relationship between
Iranians and Arabs to see whether animosity or good-neighbourliness has
mainly prevailed. Then, seeking to pinpoint the causes of uneasiness in the
Iranian-Arab relationship since the 1950s, the focus of the paper turns to
the formation of pan-Arab ideology and its strong anti-Iranian elements.
Major differences in outlooks, coupled with territorial and diplomatic
disagreements, had Nasserite Egypt and especially Ba’athist Iraq embrace
these elements and begin implementing them to their full and extreme
extent at a time when a monarchical West-leaning regime was in power in
Iran. The paper concludes that the uneasiness in Iran-Arab relations during
the past five to six decades has been situational and a modern phenomenon,
chiefly stemming from specific political circumstances with certain roots in
nation-building activities in the concerned countries. Hence, historical and
ethno-religious or civilizational roots of this strained relationship are either
non-existent or insignificant.
