Saudi Arabia Seeks to Expel the Islamic Republic from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

The ruling system in Iran considers its "Islamic" identity as one of its main sources of legitimacy. The Islamic Republic also claims to be the umm al-qura (mother city) of the Islamic world, and its leader is referred to as the "Wali al-Amr of the Muslims of the World." The costs incurred by the Islamic Republic in establishing this legitimacy are well known. Now imagine that amid the prevailing tensions between Tehran and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia could expel or suspend the Islamic Republic from the only and most important Islamic institution, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Even the thought of such an event is terrifying, as a country claiming to be the umm al-qura and a leader claiming to be the Wali al-Amr of the Muslims could be expelled from the OIC. Even more painful is that if this bitter event were to occur at the hands of Iran's regional rival, Saudi Arabia, the bitterness would be multiplied. But is the Islamic Republic going to be expelled or suspended from the OIC? The answer must be sought in the disruptive actions that Riyadh is attempting to implement using organizational diplomacy. According to Al Arabiya (affiliated with Saudi Arabia), the Gulf Cooperation Council has requested Islamic countries to expel the Islamic Republic from the OIC due to what it calls "Iran's harmful and sectarian behaviors." So far, this request is merely a non-binding appeal, but what is significant is the reflection of this news that a group of regional countries has, for the first time in the history of Iran-Arab relations, called for Iran's expulsion from the OIC. Such a request itself can be a reputational blow for any country, even if it does not materialize. Although imposing such a penalty against the Islamic Republic has so far been verbal, it should not be forgotten that four years ago, the OIC suspended Syria's membership by consensus. In that vote, Iran was the only opponent of Syria's suspension from the OIC. Now there is evidence that some Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, are seeking to implement a similar scenario, this time targeting the Islamic Republic to suspend or expel its membership from the OIC. Last month, 11 Arab countries warned Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, about "Iran's continued negative role that has caused conflict and instability in the region, as well as its expansionist policies, disregard for national sovereignty, and repeated interventions in the internal affairs of Arab countries." These countries include six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) and five other Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, and Yemen. Among these countries, the presence of Oman, which has traditionally had good relations with Tehran, is particularly noteworthy due to the shift observed in its foreign policy towards Iran. Following that letter to the UN Secretary-General, activities from some Arab countries are seen that are seeking to expel the Islamic Republic from the OIC. In this context, Saudi Arabia's role is clearly prominent. These countries, including at the 13th summit of the Islamic Conference in Istanbul, in the final statement approved by all member countries (including Iraq and Lebanon), labeled Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and the Islamic Republic as a supporter of terrorism. Saudi Arabia's active diplomacy in this organization was such that Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, described the OIC as an office of the Saudi Foreign Ministry. Such a statement from a Deputy Foreign Minister indicates Saudi Arabia's open hand in utilizing the OIC for its own interests. In another recent action, the OIC has expressed its agreement to refer the issue of "the bombing of Mecca" to the UN in rebuking the Houthis of Yemen. According to Saudi claims, the Houthis aimed to target Mecca by firing a ballistic missile into Saudi territory. As observed, Saudi Arabia and its satellite countries have actively utilized the OIC to advance their goals, taking advantage of the passivity of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy. It is not far-fetched to think that with the request made by the Gulf Cooperation Council to the OIC, the issue of suspending or expelling the Islamic Republic from the OIC could take on a serious form, just as the organization previously suspended Syria's membership. This organization, in its founding document, which was also signed by Iran, describes itself as the representative of the "Islamic Ummah." It is clear that expelling or suspending Iran from this organization would be interpreted as expulsion and suspension from membership in the "Islamic Ummah." Such an interpretation would be a significant reputational blow to a country that was one of the founding members of the OIC. This reputational blow would be even more painful when everyone knows that the driving force behind such an action against Tehran is Saudi Arabia. The coming months will clarify how feasible the issue of suspending or expelling the Islamic Republic from the OIC is, but what can already be concluded is: First, the absolute passivity of the Islamic Republic within the OIC; Second, Saudi Arabia's active exploitation of the OIC for its own goals; Third, the reputational blow that such a request has already inflicted on the Islamic Republic.