Saudi-Iranian struggle for hegemony in the Middle East

Abstract

Lasting for almost four decades imperial play between Saudi Arabia and Iran for the influence in the Middle East is comparable in its regional dimension to the global rivalry between the United States and Soviet Russia during the period of the Cold War. Iran, as a country presenting an openly anti-Western rhetoric, and Saudi Arabia, as the local ally of the Americans, have diverse versions of forming the political landscape. Currently both countries are perceived by the international community as antagonists acting according to their own particular and distinct businesses, ignoring the good of the nations afflicted by the intervention. The aim of this article is to present and analyse the historical and political causes and consequences of the conflict between these two aspiring regional forces.