For decades, the Persian Gulf region - subsumed under a latent Sunni-Shi'ite divide - was animated by a drama of Iraq-Iran rivalry; each power balanced the other. The elimination of Saddam Hussein, by the 2003 United States invasion of Iraq, introduced a new chapter in the regional affairs - Saudi Arabia and Iran as the twin pillars of the regional power-configuration.
Historically, despite numerous efforts by each party to improve bilateral relations and deepen cooperation, Iran-Saudi relations have been fraught with intermittent rhetorical wars and grim strategic competition.
Read Full Article »
