THE WORLD, CONNECTED
DIRECTIONAL RELATIONSHIP · 2026

Iran → Saudi Arabia

This score represents Iran's relationship toward Saudi Arabia. The reverse direction is calculated separately and shown alongside it.

IRN → SAU+4Mixed95% evidence confidenceBroad sourced evidence
SAU → IRN-12Competitive16-point directional gap
SIX-COMPONENT MODEL

Current component scores

Component values run from −100 to +100 and are combined with the published weights.

Security-15

2 documented factors produce the -15 security assessment.

Why this score?
  1. +15Diplomatic relations and formal cooperation are restored
    Active event · 2023

    The Beijing agreement reopened embassies and reactivated security and general-cooperation agreements; implementation records confirm renewed exchanges.

  2. -30Regional attacks renew bilateral security friction
    Active event · 2026

    Current official records preserve the source government's distinct account of attacks, responsibility and regional escalation after the earlier normalization.

Coverage gap: Iran's reviewed 2015 record documented regional political opposition but did not meet the frozen major-security-rivalry criterion.

Diplomacy+10

3 documented factors produce the +10 diplomacy assessment.

Why this score?
  1. -15Regional intervention and competing security positions produced serious political friction
    Baseline rule · 2015

    Regional intervention and competing security positions produced serious political friction.

  2. +45Diplomatic relations and formal cooperation are restored
    Active event · 2023

    The Beijing agreement reopened embassies and reactivated security and general-cooperation agreements; implementation records confirm renewed exchanges.

  3. -20Regional attacks renew bilateral security friction
    Active event · 2026

    Current official records preserve the source government's distinct account of attacks, responsibility and regional escalation after the earlier normalization.

Economic+15

1 documented factor produce the +15 economic assessment.

Why this score?
  1. +15Diplomatic relations and formal cooperation are restored
    Active event · 2023

    The Beijing agreement reopened embassies and reactivated security and general-cooperation agreements; implementation records confirm renewed exchanges.

Coverage gap: 2015 goods trade was below the frozen material-trade threshold.

Disputes-5

2 documented factors produce the -5 disputes assessment.

Why this score?
  1. +15Diplomatic relations and formal cooperation are restored
    Active event · 2023

    The Beijing agreement reopened embassies and reactivated security and general-cooperation agreements; implementation records confirm renewed exchanges.

  2. -20Regional attacks renew bilateral security friction
    Active event · 2026

    Current official records preserve the source government's distinct account of attacks, responsibility and regional escalation after the earlier normalization.

Coverage gap: No frozen-v1 territorial rule was activated for the bilateral relationship.

Societal+10

1 documented factor produce the +10 societal assessment.

Why this score?
  1. +10Diplomatic relations and formal cooperation are restored
    Active event · 2023

    The Beijing agreement reopened embassies and reactivated security and general-cooperation agreements; implementation records confirm renewed exchanges.

Coverage gap: Reviewed official sources did not establish national-scale people-to-people programs.

CHANGE SINCE 2015

+2 in 2015 → +4 in 2026

The change is generated from sourced events and frozen scoring rules, not retrospective editorial adjustment.

ACTIVE EVIDENCE

Events affecting the current score

+19

Diplomatic relations and formal cooperation are restored

The Beijing agreement reopened embassies and reactivated security and general-cooperation agreements; implementation records confirm renewed exchanges.

-17

Regional attacks renew bilateral security friction

Current official records preserve the source government's distinct account of attacks, responsibility and regional escalation after the earlier normalization.

Interpret with care

This analytical score is not an objective fact, endorsement or prediction. Confidence reflects evidence coverage, while incomplete or unavailable observations remain explicit. Differences below 5 points are treated as practical ties rather than a meaningful ranking.

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