Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Greetings delegates,
It is a matter of pride and privilege to welcome you all to the simulation of the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation. This is the first time this committee has been orchestrated and it gives us
immense pleasure to be a part of the didactic discussions and debates that are going to take
place.
The agenda at hand has been cherrypicked, keeping in mind the centuries old, ongoing rift
between Saudi Arabia and The Islamic Republic Of Iran. Based on the agenda, we are
expecting to commence groundbreaking debating sessions and diplomacy skills on display. A
fascinating combination of Internal Relations, global politics and diplomacy, we hope the agenda
gives rise to an enriching experience that broadens our worldview.
We would also urge all the delegates to come up with sound reason and logic and be thorough
with their research. The given background guide should only be the starting point of your
research. Let us not forget, delegates, that substantial research is the driving force behind
steering the committee in the right direction.
We are eagerly looking forward to seeing what you, as respective members of the committee
can bring to the table, both in terms of your ideas in the committee, as well as your creativity in
crafting solutions.

Warm Regards,
Babar Bilal Malik, Chairperson.
([email protected] )

Mudabbir, Vice-Chairperson.
([email protected])

Maryam Mir, Vice-Chairperson.

([email protected])

ORIGIN OF THE CONFLICT

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the Middle East, for the first time since the dawn
of Islam, found itself without a regional hegemon. In the wake of this power vacuum, several nations
emerged as potential successors, each struggling to exert dominance over its neighbors. One-by-one,
however, suitors fell, as the Arab Spring wrought havoc throughout the world, sending once stable
dynasties into anarchic chaos. Eventually, only two countries remained stable and powerful enough to
stake a legitimate claim over the region: Saudi Arabia and Iran. Though the two rival countries sit across
the Persian Gulf from each other, that is the end of the similarities. Saudi Arabia is Sunni Muslim, seeing
itself as the overseers of traditional Islam and gatekeepers of its holy cities: Mecca and Medina. Iran, on
the other hand, is a Shia-majority country, viewing the Sunnis as usurpers who have besmirched the
faith and tarnished its teachings. Furthermore, the two countries represent vastly different ethnic
groups. Saudi Arabia is, for the most part, ethnically homogenous, with Saudi Arabs making up nearly
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ninety percent of the entire population. Conversely, Iran is a melting pot of eastern/central Asian
peoples, a lasting remnant of their ancient role as a crossroads between the Far East and Europe. These
factors combined make the battle between Iran and Saudi more than a mere struggle for regional
dominance. Instead, it represents an ancient conflict dating back thousands of years to the birth of
civilization and modern religion.

CURRENT SITUATION
In modern times, the Iran-Saudi Arabia Conflict is frequently referred to as a cold war, reflecting its
many parallels to the Cold War of the previous century between the United States and Russia. In many
ways, this is an accurate description of the true nature of the struggle. Indeed, neither Saudi Arabia nor
Iran has engaged in overt military operations within the opponent’s nation, yet both countries have
actively sought to reduce one another’s influence, primarily in the battleground countries of Yemen,
Syria and Iraq. Furthermore, both Iran and Saudi Arabia are backed by formidable superpowers around
the globe, Russia with Iran and the United States with Saudi. In yet another parallel between the Saudi-
Iran conflict and the Cold War, both countries frequently attempt to defame the opposition on the
international stage. Saudi Arabia frequently claims that Iran is behind the Houthi rebels recent attempts
to fire missiles at the Saudi capital of Riyadh (which, of course, Iran fervently denies), whereas Iran
blames Saudi Arabia for funding former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in his decade-long war with Iran,
the effects of which still radiate within Iran.

As the two nations instigate/fund civil wars and resistance movements throughout North Africa and
the Middle East, the horrible consequences become more apparent. In Syria, the civil has brought about
more than 5 million refugees, with millions more in desperate need for humanitarian aid. Likewise, in
Yemen the civil continues to ravage the infrastructure and hospital network, leading to an estimated
5,000 deaths every day from a horrific Cholera outbreak that, with proper medical care, could easily be
solved. Although countries such as the United States and Russia have publicly condemned such
tragedies, they still continue to back Saudi Arabia and Iran respectively, ultimately only further
escalating regional tensions. Any attempt by this committee to bring stability to the Middle East must
include a long-term plan for these refugees that doesn’t risk turning the Iran-Saudi Arabia conflict into
an all-out war.

For many years, the proxy struggle seemed destined for the same fate as the Cold War, never to result
in direct fighting. It seemed like the region had too much to lose by way of infrastructure and civil
society for either side to risk proper war. However, years of civil war and the rise of extremist militant
groups have eroded this foundation, paving the way for armed combat. Moreover, the rise of extremist
militant groups such as ISIL diverted the attention from both countries away from each other, giving the
region a shared enemy. As ISIL and its constituents retreat back into hiding, tensions escalate over which
power will obtain the forfeited land. Such land includes the border between Iraq and Syria, an area rich
in oil but also devastated by almost a century of warfare. With both governments looking to advance
their national agendas by seizing these fields, what for the moment remains a minor dispute could
quickly escalate into the next World War.
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Figure 1: The Maghreb and Orient Courier showing the proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia 2

SHIA AND SUNNIS

The conflict between Shiites and Sunnis has been ongoing since approximately 632 CE,
following the death of the prophet Mohammed. The conflict came to a head when Ali,
Mohammed’s cousin and son-in-law, was chosen as the fourth caliph. Ali, two of the previous
caliphs and his son Hussein were murdered, and the schism between Sunnis and Shiites was
never repaired. While both Shiites and Sunnis worship the same God and prophet, they
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fundamentally disagree on certain issues and think the other side is kafir (‫)كافر‬, heretical.1
Sunnis make up the majority of the Muslim population in the word, with over 1.6 billion people
across the globe. There are less than 200 million Shiite Muslims. The main center of Sunni Islam
is in Saudi Arabia which contains both Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam. The
center of Shiite Islam is in Iran.2

The tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran started in 1979 when the Iranian revolution created
a religious Shiite state. It increased when the United States overthrew Saddam Hussein in Iraq;
Iraq served as a barrier to Iranian influence.3 Additionally, Iran post-revolution became anti-
Western, and specifically anti-America, while Saudi Arabia and the United States remain allies. 4
Following the nuclear deal in 2015, Iran was primed to be welcomed back into global politics.
Saudi Arabia, in turn, became allies with those countries who remained against Iran, such as
Israel.5 In 2016, Saudi Arabia executed an important Shiite cleric named Sheikh Nimr al-Nirm. In
response, Iranian protesters lit the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran on fire. 6 While the fight
between Iran and Saudi Arabia stems from religious differences, both countries want power
over the Middle East and see the other one as a threat to that control. 7

12https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2007/02/12/7332087/the-origins-of-the-shiite-sunni-split

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/mideast/what-are-differences-between-sunni-shiite-muslims-n489951
34https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42008809

https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-11-12/cold-war-between-iran-and-saudi-arabia-heating-here-are-5-things -you-should-know
5

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/12/20/whats-behind-the-feud-between-saudiarabia-and-iran-
power/?utm_term=.9a7e907efc48
6

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/reformist-cleric-sheikh-nimr-al-nimr-among-47-executed-saudi-n48

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/12/20/whats-behind-the-feud-between-saudiarabia-and-iran-
power/?utm_term=.9a7e907efc48

This tension continues to play out today in a proxy war, which is defined as “a war instigated by
a major power which does not itself become involved”. 8 While Saudi Arabia and Iran do not
fight each other directly, they are engaged in several regional conflicts where Saudi Arabia
provides funding and weapons to one side while Iran provides to the other. 9 These conflicts
include Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. While the wars in these four countries had the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
potential to happen naturally, the interference of these two major powers has exacerbated the
conflict, costing far too many innocent people their lives.

The following issues should be reflected upon and considered while researching the topic:

1. How is the best way to politically diffuse the situation between Saudi Arabia and Iran?

2. Should the Iranian or Saudi presences or influences be removed from Syria and Iraq?
Yemen? Lebanon?
3. What is the best way to remove Saudi and Iranian influences and proxies from the
various conflicts to allow the conflicting parties to sort these issues out themselves?
4. How else has this conflict affected the Middle East in terms of trade, oil and diplomatic
relations? What is the relationship between this proxy war and Saudi Arabia cutting off
diplomatic relations with Qatar?
5. What steps can be put in place to ensure the treatment of Shiite Muslims in Sunni
countries improves?

There are many issues that must be addressed under the proxy war between Saudi Arabia and
Iran, and different countries are addressing different issues. Do not limit your research only to
the topics mentioned above; these will be the starting point of our discussion. It is important to
remain truthful to your country and to research not only the topic but also your country. In this
situation, it would be strange to see Sunni and Shiite countries working together without
extenuating political circumstances. Multiple resolutions can be passed on this topic; however,
conflicting resolutions will not be allowed to pass. Please remember that while sub-
committees and sanctions can be helpful they will not solve the problem on their own.
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
Definition of Key Terms
Middle East
The Middle East is a transcontinental region centred on Western Asia that includes the countries
ofBahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia,Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen5.

Proxy war
A proxy war is a conflict between two nations where neither nation directly engages in combat with the

other. It relies on the two nations using external strife to attack the territorial holdings or other

interests of the opposing country6.

Proxies
A proxy is an agent or organization ordered to act for another person or body. In proxy wars, a proxy

refers to the organization used by a country to conduct or execute the war against the opposing country

Iran – Saudi Arabia Proxy War

Iran and Saudi Arabia are leaders of two opposing Muslim faiths. With Saudi Arabia being the leader

of the Sunni Muslim faith and Iran being the leader of the Shia Muslim faith, a proxy war between these
two countries weaves itself into existing conflicts within the Middle East. Iran has used its proxies –
Hezbollah, in particular as well as its allied governments, like Syria to execute its proxy war against Saudi
Arabia.

Iran – Saudi Arabia Proxy War in the Context of the Syrian Civil War
The Iran – Saudi Arabia proxy war has integrated itself into the Syrian Civil War, as Iran and Saudi

Arabia support opposing parties in the Syrian conflict. Saudi Arabia has supported several rebel

factions like the Islamic Front that are fighting against the Assad regime, while Iran supports and

aids the Assad government. Hence, the proxy war between the two countries has intensified as each

country has been strengthening the parties they support in the Syrian civil war. Iran and Syria are

close allies and hence Iran has provided significant amount of support to the Assad regime which

includes logistics, finance as well as technical support. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is also said

to have provided training to Syrian troops. This extensive support and help has come after the
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Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei’s statement in 2011, when he was vocal about extending

support to the Syrian government in times of crisis27. Iran has also offered military support by

training National Defence Forces (NDF) in Syria. Iran has also used Lebanese Hezbollah fighters

to provide military assistance that Assad needed to fight opposition. According to Staffan de Mistura,

the United Nations envoy to Syria, the Iranian government spends close to 6 billion USD on

supporting and aiding the Assad regime and maintaining the Syrian government. It was further noted

that Iran provided over $9 billion to Syria to allow it to survive during sanctions, and has also fuel

and warships to Syrian ports to help the Assad government. A panel set up by the United Nations

was alarmed in May 2012 by the increased amounts of ammunition that were being transported to

Syria – Turkish authorities had discovered and seized a truck full of detonators, machine guns as

well as 60mm and 120mm mortar shells that are believed to be destined to Syria. According to a

report by the CNN, Iran allegedly provided Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to help guide Syrian

government fighters and therefore help Assad destroy rebel positions.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

In response to Iran’s support to the Assad regime, Saudi Arabia has also stepped up its contributions
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to rebel factions within Syria who are fighting against the Assad government. These rebel factions

supported by Saudi Arabia include the Islamic Front31, Jaysh – al – Fath, Ahrar – al – Sham, as well as

the Jaysh – al – Islam rebel alliances. Saudi Arabia has extensively armed and funded Syrian

opposition as part of its proxy war against Assad’s ally – Iran. Saudi Arabia has supplied several infantry
weapons and anti tank weapons like the M79 Osa since December 2012. Saudi Arabia went

on to purchase M60 recoilless rifles from Croatia and started supplying them to rebels through the

Jordanian border. The supply on TOW missiles to rebels by Saudi Arabia has helped rebels capture

villages in the Hama province at unprecedented rates.

Iran – Saudi Arabia Proxy War in the Context of the Yemen Civil War
Iran and Saudi Arabia have intervened in the Yemen Civil War, making the conflict in Yemen another

front for their proxy war. While Iran supports the Houthi rebels, Saudi Arabia has conducted several

military actions, like Operation Decisive Storm against the Houthis. It was reported that the Quds

Force, an elite arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) was smuggling weapons

destined for the Houthi rebels34, which included AK – 47s, C – 4 explosives and rocket – propelled

grenades. In January 2013, weapons were seized from a ship off the coast of Yemen – these weapons,

destined for the Houthis, included surface – to – air missiles, as well as explosives with Iranian

markings on them. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has remained supportive of the Hadi

government and hence conducted military operations against the Houthis in Yemen. This includes

Operation Decisive Storm in 2015, which included a series of air strikes to destroy areas controlled

by the Houthis. According to Al Arabiya, Saudi Arabia contributed over 100 warplanes and 150,000

soldiers as part of Operation Decisive Storm. Along with the members of the Gulf Cooperation

Council (except Oman), Saudi Arabia led a series of air strikes conducted against civilian

infrastructure in Yemen, aimed at destroying Houthi strongholds. The Royal Saudi Air Force has

been extensively involved in the taking down of Houthi air defenses. It has also destroyed numerous

Houthi fighter planes, and hence secured most of Yemeni airspace. The Saudi Arabian military are

consolidating a wide no-fly zone. The Saudi airstrikes have been targeting military compounds,

headquarters and weapons storage areas. These air strikes by Saudi Arabia have been effective in

countering the advances of the Houthi rebels, but the increased number of air strikes has also led to
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Iran increasing and strengthening its support to the Houthis to counteract Saudi Arabian activity,

leading to the Yemen civil war becoming more intense

According to military sources, rebel strongholds were destroyed by Saudi Arabia including the AL
Daylami airbase and the presidential complex seized by the rebels in January. After destroying

Houthi ballistic and heavy weaponry, Saudi Arabia started Operation Restoring Hope where Saudi

Arabia aimed to continue their aerial and naval blockade of areas close to Houthi strongholds. Within
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Yemen itself as the civil war rolls out, and Houthi revolutionaries and Sunni tribesmen prepare for

battle, the conflict is larger than Yemen itself, but is rather another front of a proxy war between the

leaders of two opposing Muslim faiths. Within Iran supporting the Houthis and Saudi Arabia

supporting Hadi, both Iran and Saudi Arabia continue to provided unparalleled amount of

ammunition and funding to the parties they support, leading to escalation of the conflict and

jeopardizing the regional order, posing a threat to Middle Eastern security. The Supreme Leader of

Iran sees an opportunity to make yet another Middle Eastern government his proxy, while Saudi

Arabia both fears Iran’s increasing sphere of influence and recognizes that Yemen is important for

Saudi Arabian dominance of the oil market.

Major Countries and Organizations Involved

IRAN
Iran is the leader of the Shia Muslim faith, and it has had a proxy war with Saudi Arabia,

which has woven itself into several other conflicts in the Middle East. Iran uses two of its proxies –

Hezbollah and Hamas to participate in its proxy wars. Iran supports the Bashar Al Assad regime in

the Syrian Civil War, by providing it weaponry and funding, thus engaging in a proxy war with Saudi

Arabia funding the Islamic Front and other rebel alliances in the region. Iran has also supported the

Houthi rebels in the Yemen Civil War interweaving its proxy war with Saudi Arabia which is against

the Houthis. The proxy war took a dramatic turn when the Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned

Saudi Arabia of “harsh revenge” in the ongoing conflict39. Iran also uses the Hamas as a tool to be in a

proxy war with Israel, by providing it logistical support and ammunition in the Gaza Strip.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the leader of the Sunni Muslim faith, and has engaged itself in a proxy war

with Iran. Saudi Arabia has provided varied levels of funding and weaponry to the Free Syrian Army

in the ongoing Syrian Civil War, hence engaging in a proxy war with Iran that supports the Assad

regime. Saudi Arabia is also rumored to have supported rebel fractions in Iraq, which includes the

Jaysh-al-Fath, Ahrar-al-Sham and the Islamic Front, engaging in a proxy war with Iran that is

supporting the Shiite Iraq government. Saudi Arabia has also organized the Operation Decisive Storm

against the Houthis in the Yemen Civil War, hence engaging in a proxy war with Iran on another front
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in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has also been involved in Operation Restoring Hope40, which

continued a naval blockade around Yemen to prevent the Houthis stronghold regions from getting

ammunition and support from naval routes. Saudi Arabia also has growing concerns about the

Iranian nuclear program and its possible implications on the Iran – Saudi Arabia proxy war.

ISRAEL
Israel has been accused by Iran of gross human right violations in the Gaza Strip in the

ongoing Israel – Palestine issue. After Israel moved out of the Gaza Strip in 2005, the Hamas came to

power in the region, with the intention of destroying the Jewish state of Israel. Hamas continue

receiving varied levels of funding and weaponry from Iran, hence putting Israel at war with the

Hamas at several occasions, as part of the Iran – Israel proxy war. Israel and another of Iran’s proxy –

Hezbollah have also had severe military confrontation. One of the most noticeable and prominent

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39 Wilkin, Sam, and Angus McDowall. Saudi Arabia cuts ties with Iran as row over cleric’s death
escalates. Reuters, 3 Jan.

2016. Web. 2 June 2016. < http://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-security-iran-fury-

idUSKBN0UH00C20160103>

40 Banco, Erin. “Saudi ‘Operation Restoring Hope’ In Yemen Seeks To Restore Hadi To Power, Still
Includes Airstrikes.”

International Business Times. 22 Apr. 2015. Web. 2 June 2016. <http://www.ibtimes.com/saudi-

operation-restoring-hopeyemen-seeks-restore-hadi-power-still-includes-1892339>

military confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah was the 2006 War. After the war, there have

still been frequent artillery shell bombings and missile attacks. The Israeli Air Force attacked camps

and Hezbollah strongholds in Syria, most notably the Al-Qalamoun region. Israeli aircrafts

continued their offensive close to the Lebanese border which led to the destruction of a weapons

convoy41 destined for a Hezbollah stronghold. Hezbollah has also retaliated, by firing anti tank

missiles at Israeli military convoys42.

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Yemen
Yemen currently faces a civil war between the supporters of the Hadi government and the

Houthi rebels, a Shia insurgency in the North West region of the country. Using extensive funding and

support from Iran43, the Houthi rebels were able to take over the government institutions in Sana’a,

leading to extensive conflicts between the Saudi Arabia backed Hadi government and the Iran –

funded Houthi rebels. Hence, Yemen is an important front in the proxy war for both Iran and Saudi

Arabia as both desperately try to increase their sphere of influence in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia

has collaborated with other Arab states to conduct air strikes and naval blockades against Houthi

strongholds, along with the execution and implementation of several military strategies including

Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope. The proxy war has led to heightened

tensions in Yemen leading to large scale increase in the number of Yemeni civilian deaths as the

provision of ammunition by Iran and Saudi Arabia to the parties they back has intensified the war.

The UN Special Rapporteur for Internally Displaced Persons ChalokaBeyani has accused Saudi

Arabia of escalating the number of civilian deaths in Yemen44 due to its increase in the number of air

strikes as part of the proxy war against Iran.

Syria
During the Arab Spring, protestors in Syria demanded humanitarian reform, which led to the

eventual formation of the Free Syrian Army. Currently, the Assad regime in Syria is funded by Iran

and supported by Iran’s proxy – Hezbollah. Iran has used its Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to

provide training and critical logistic support to the Syrian army under Assad. Syria has also maintain

ties with Iran’s proxy Hezbollah in an attempt to destroy rebel factions. On the other hand, the Free

Syrian Army which has been fighting against Assad receives varying levels of funding from Saudi
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41 OKBI, YASSER, and MAARIV HASHAVUA. “Hezbollah weapons warehouses were the target of Wednesday’s Israeli airstrikes

in Syria.” The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com, 12 Nov. 2015. Web. 28 May 2016. <http://www.jpost.com/Arab-
IsraeliConflict/Hezbollah-weapons-warehouses-were-the-target-of-Wednesdays-Israeli-airstrikes-in-Syria-432840>

42 Casey, Nicholas, and Raja Abdulrahim. “Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in Attack Claimed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah.” The Wall

Street Journal 29 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 May 2016. <http://www.wsj.com/articles/israel-strikes-syrian-army-artillery-posts-

1422433830>

43 YaraBayoumy, Mohammed Ghobari, Iranian support seen crucial for Yemen’s Houthis. Reuters, 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 3

June 2016. < http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-houthis-iran-insight-idUSKBN0JT17A20141215>

44 Lendman, Stephen. UN accuses Saudi Arabia of killing Yemeni civilians. Global Research - Centre for Research on

Globalisation, 9 Apr. 2015. Web. 3 June 2016. http://www.globalresearch.ca/un-accuses-saudi-arabia-of-killing-

yemenicivilians/5441962

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Arabia. Saudi Arabia has also supported the Islamic Front operating within Syria, and hence the

Assad regime has faced intensified resistance and revolts from the rebels in Syria who have been

strengthened by Saudi Arabia. Hence, the Syrian Civil War is placed at the core of the Iran – Saudi

Arabia proxy war. The Syrian government shares diplomatic ties with Iran, but is currently being

crippled by the 4 year long Syrian Civil War, which caused the Assad regime to lose control over

large portions of the country. Syria is a very significant country as Iran finds it crucial to maintain

ties with Syria to keep its sphere of influence growing in the Middle East.

Iraq
Iraq has also been at the forefront of the Iran – Saudi Arabia proxy war as Iran supports the

Shiite Iraq government, while Saudi Arabia is rumored to have financed and provided weaponry to

rebel Islamic factions like the Jaysh al-Islam rebels’ alliances. In Iraq, Saudi Arabia sensed an

opportunity to increase its sphere of influence by destabilizing the Iran supported government, to

subsequently reduce Iranian influence, to weaken Hezbollah in Lebanon, and as a consequence

started supporting rebel groups in Iraq. Iran retaliated in Iraq by continued to support the Iraqi
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government by sending in members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Saudi Arabia

continued to enhance its source of funding and support to rebels and as a consequence it was the

people of Iraq that suffered in the middle of this proxy war on the Iraqi front. According to the United

Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq, over 10,000 civilians have been killed45 in Iraq from January to

May 2015 alone, as a result of the Iran – Saudi Arabia civil war. Hence, Iraq has been facing a

humanitarian cost due to the proxy war too.

United States of America

The United States of America has been extensively involved with Saudi Arabia to conduct air

strikes and other operations against the Syrian government of Assad as well as against the ISIS. USA

has provided varied levels of support to the Free Syrian Army and hence has supported Saudi Arabia

in the conflict. The United States was also involved in the provision of non – lethal aid to Syrian

government’s opposition groups in Syria46, hence intensifying the fight against the Bashar Al Assad

regime. It has provided training and other form of support to ‘moderate’ opposition groups in the

country in order to fight the Assad forces47. The United States was also involved in Operation

Decisive Storm by providing intelligence and logistical support for the Saudi Arabia led campaign in

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45 “Civilians continue to pay a heavy price due to terrorism, violence and armed conflict.” United
Nations Assistance Mission

to Iraq. 3 May 2015. Web. 4 June 2016.

46 Landler, Mark. “U.S. Considers Resuming Nonlethal Aid to Syrian Opposition.” The New York Times 13
Jan. 2014. Web. 4

June 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/world/middleeast/syria-aid-may-resume-despite-

fears-over-where-itwill-go.html?_r=0>

47 Plesser, Ben, Ammar Cheikh Omar, and Erin McClam. “Who Are the Syrian Rebels the U.S. Wants to
Arm and Train?” NBC

News 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 4 June 2016. <http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/who-are-

syrian-rebels-u-s-wantsarm-train-n207391>

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Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
Yemen
It was involved in the extensive military and intelligence cooperation aimed at destroying

Houthi strongholds in the Yemen Civil War. Hence, the involvement of the United States of America

has intensified the proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, by supporting Saudi Arabia’s military

campaigns and propositions in the region.

Gulf Cooperation Council

All Gulf Cooperation Council members except Oman have collaborated together to plan and

execute Operation Decisive Storm. Hence, the GCC has played an integral role in organizing military

activity against the Houthi rebels in the Yemeni Civil War and hence have worked supporting Saudi

Arabia in the Iran – Saudi Arabia proxy war. All GCC members (except Oman) have contributed

military support to Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope, with countries like

Jordan and Kuwait contributing 6 and 15 military jets for air strikes respectively. The Gulf

Cooperation Council, in the context of the Syrian Civil War, had formally recognized the National

Coalition of the Syrian Opposition48 and hence recognized opposition rebels in 2012 that were

protesting and acting against the Bashar Al Assad regime in Syria. So, the GCC has supported Saudi

Arabia extensively in the ongoing proxy war, hence making the conflicts with Iran more intense and

costlier on political and humanitarian grounds.

Hezbollah
Hezbollah is one of the most important organizations when it comes to proxy wars in the

Middle East. Hezbollah has served as a proxy for Iran in all of Iran’s proxy wars. Hezbollah is aiding

the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in training and helping troops of the Assad government in

fighting the Syrian opposition rebels. Hezbollah is also involved in the proxy war between Iran and

Israel, by engaging in military encounters with the Israeli Defence Forces. One of the most massive

military encounters between the Hezbollah and the IDF was the 2006 Lebanese War. After the same,

both parties have upgraded their military infrastructure and weapons systems, engaging in several

crossfires, like when the IDF destroyed Hezbollah camps and warehouses and in retaliation,

Hezbollah destroyed an IDF military convoy.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
Hamas
Hamas has also served as one of Iran’s proxies and has involved itself in the Iran – Israel

proxy war. Hamas came to power in the Gaza Strip, and has received ammunition and funding from

Iran for engaging in military activity against the State of Israel. Hamas has received technologies like

the M – 302 and M – 75 rockets from Iran, according to the President of the Palestinian National

Authority.

The Executive Board urges the delegates to propose constructive solutions. Furthermore, the
Executive Board expects a constructive committee rather than a DESTRUCTIVE one.

Regards,

The Executive Board

Babar Bilal Malik - Chairperson

Maryam Mir - Vice Chairperson

Mudabbir Latifi – Vice Chairperson