The struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia for dominance in the Middle East has insinuated itself into nearly every regional issue, fracturing international alliances and sustaining wars across the region, while raising fears of a direct conflict between the two powers.
Saudi Arabia has ramped up its regional adventurism since Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful son of King Salman, was appointed crown prince in 2017. And it has cracked down on its opponents, including the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. That appears to have had little effect on the crown prince’s increasingly close ties to the Trump administration, though. Determined to undermine the Iranian regime, Washington has pulled out of the nuclear deal with Tehran and used its economic might to block five countries from continuing to purchase Iranian oil.
The Middle East is rife with ongoing conflicts, including a civil war in Yemen that has fueled one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and another in Syria that may finally be reaching a no-less bloody endgame. These conflicts exist on two levels: domestic battles for control of the countries’ futures and proxy wars fueled by the regional powers.
Meanwhile, the long-simmering dispute between Israel and Palestine, which used to dominate international coverage, continues to worsen. A round of fighting in May was the deadliest since 2014. Like everything else in the region, this conflict has also become embroiled in the larger power struggle, with Saudi-allied leaders willing to remain silent on the Palestinian issue in return for Israeli support in containing Iran.
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