Iran–Saudi Arabia rivalry

E742215

The Iran–Saudi Arabia rivalry is a long-running geopolitical and sectarian struggle for regional influence in the Middle East, shaping conflicts, alliances, and power balances across the region.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Saudi–Iranian proxy conflict 1

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Middle East conflict
geopolitical rivalry
regional conflict
affectsIssue global energy security
security of maritime routes in the Persian Gulf
affectsOrganization Gulf Cooperation Council NERFINISHED
Organization of Islamic Cooperation NERFINISHED
diplomaticBreak 2016
diplomaticBreakReason attack on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran
economicDimension OPEC policy competition
oil market influence
effect militarization of regional conflicts
polarization of Middle Eastern politics
sectarian tensions across the region
ideologicalDimension Sunni–Shia sectarian divide
republican Islamism vs. conservative monarchy
involvesProxyConflict Afghan conflict
Bahraini unrest
Iraqi conflict post-2003
Lebanese political conflict
Syrian civil war
Yemeni civil war NERFINISHED
keyAllyOfIran Hezbollah NERFINISHED
Houthi movement NERFINISHED
Iraqi Shia militias
Syrian Arab Republic NERFINISHED
keyAllyOfSaudiArabia Bahrain NERFINISHED
Egypt NERFINISHED
Jordan NERFINISHED
United Arab Emirates NERFINISHED
United States NERFINISHED
mainParticipants Islamic Republic of Iran NERFINISHED
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia NERFINISHED
normalizationAgreement China-brokered deal March 2023
normalizationAttempt Baghdad talks 2021–2022 NERFINISHED
notableIncident 1987 Mecca incident
2016 execution of Nimr al-Nimr
politicalDimension leadership of the Muslim world
regional hegemony
region Arabian Peninsula NERFINISHED
Levant NERFINISHED
Middle East
Persian Gulf NERFINISHED
religiousDimension Shia Islam NERFINISHED
Sunni Islam NERFINISHED
securityDimension arms race
proxy warfare
startPeriod 1979
triggerEvent Iranian Revolution NERFINISHED

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Yemen–United States relations affectedBy Iran–Saudi Arabia rivalry
Middle East politics hasKeyIssue Iran–Saudi Arabia rivalry
Qatar diplomatic crisis 2017 relatedTo Iran–Saudi Arabia rivalry
this entity surface form: Saudi–Iranian proxy conflict