Syria: Iran's and Saudi Arabia's new playground? : A case study of Iran’s and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Syrian Civil War

Abstract: This examination addresses the problem of proxy warfare in civil wars by examining Iran’s and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Syrian Civil War. Based on previous theoretical frameworks a new theoretical framework of proxy warfare has been developed which is used to analyze whether Iran’s and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in Syria is a case of proxy warfare or not, and if their involvement in the conflict is a resultat of their so called ‘New Cold War’ as it is portrayed. By doing this, it creates a broader understanding of proxy warfare implications on civil wars and its peace processes. To be able to capture conflict dynamics, this examination shows, the great importance of examining the international dimension in civil wars to see who the external actors are and to what extent they have influenced the conflicts direction, intensity and duration. One of the conclusions drawn are that without satisfying the external actors who are exerting proxy warfare in a civil war, the conflict can essentially last forever and they will continue to prolong it for as long as they please.