Join us for the sixth Zahedi Family Fellow lecture by Diba Mirzaei. A light lunch will be served, RSVP is required.

Contrary to the widely held narrative portraying Iran and Saudi Arabia as cooperative partners during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, recently declassified diplomatic records and personal accounts from those close to the Shah reveal a far more complex picture. In the wake of Britain’s withdrawal from the Persian Gulf in 1971, the region entered a moment of uncertainty. One that seemed to offer both Iran and Saudi Arabia a chance to shape a new regional order. For a brief moment, the Shah appeared willing to engage in genuine partnership, seeking stability through coordination with Riyadh under the broader umbrella of the Nixon Doctrine.

Yet, this early openness soon gave way to a vision defined by hierarchy rather than cooperation. Convinced of Iran’s historical and strategic superiority, the Shah began to imagine a Persian Gulf order centered on Iranian dominance, in which Saudi Arabia would play a secondary, supportive role. His ambitions were encouraged by American security guarantees but constrained by the limits of dependence on them - a paradox that defined Iran’s fragile autonomy during the 1970s.

Drawing on newly accessible archives, including the Zahedi Papers at the Hoover Institution Library & Archives, and first-hand testimonies, this lecture traces how shifting regional power dynamics, personal rivalries, and the politics of prestige shaped Iran’s approach to its Arab neighbors. It revisits key turning points, including the 1971 island crisis, to show how mistrust between Tehran and Riyadh deepened despite superficial gestures of unity. Ultimately, the lecture asks why the promise of cooperation between the two states never materialized, and what this failed friendship reveals about the tension between ambition and constraint that continues to define Iran’s role in the Persian Gulf to this day.

Diba Mirzaei is a researcher at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) and a PhD candidate at the University of Hamburg. Her dissertation, “Iran’s Foreign Policy toward Saudi Arabia from 1968–1979: Fragile Autonomy under the Nixon Doctrine” (submitted in June 2025), explores how Iran’s policy toward Saudi Arabia intersected with interpretations of the Shah’s autonomy.

Mirzaei’s research interests include Iranian foreign policy and feminist approaches to international relations. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked at the German Federal Foreign Office in the field of humanitarian assistance.

Stanford is committed to ensuring its facilities, programs and services are accessible to everyone. To request access information and/or accommodations for this event, please complete https://tinyurl.com/AccessStanford at the latest one week before the event.