War By Proxy, Trauma by Inheritance: Transgenerational Psychological Effects of Iran–Saudi Proxy Conflicts

Abstract

The implications of Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflicts are evident in transgenerational psychological effects of the population in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. This paper argues that the psychological toll of protracted warfare extends beyond direct victims, thereby affecting future generations through biological, psychological, and socio-environmental mechanisms. Drawing on research in psychiatry and international relations, it illustrates how trauma from Iran-Saudi Proxy Conflicts can alter stress responses in children, manifest in family dynamics, and become embedded in collective memory. It further highlights how gendered experiences and refugee displacement shape trauma transmission and notes the critical lack of mental health infrastructure across affected regions. The paper posits that culturally informed interventions, community resilience, and policy reforms are significant to address mental well-being alongside post-conflict reconstruction.  By adopting a trauma-informed lens and investing in mental health systems, governments and aid organizations can help ensure that the legacy of proxy wars is not one of continued suffering but of recovery and resilience.