Volume 17, No. 3, 2020
The Iran-Saudi Arabia Rivalry: Struggle For Dominance In Iraq
Zheer Ahmed , Tahir Qureshi , Nisha Praveen
Abstract
The balance of power in the region under Saddam Hussein significantly changed. After Saddam Hussein was overthrown, the regional order became bipolar, with Iran and Saudi Arabia emerging as the two main regional powers. The United States (US) altered the regional power balance, which had an impact on the region’s underlying security framework. Due to long-standing structural issues that separate Iran and Saudi Arabia, the rivalry took on a new dimension after Saddam Hussein was overthrown in Iraq. Iraq experienced a political vacuum following Saddam Hussein’s ouster, which persisted until the country’s first post-Saddam elections. The toppling of Saddam Hussein unleashed a wave of sectarian divisiveness throughout West Asia because Iran and Saudi Arabia have ambitions for regional leadership.
Pages: 161-170
Keywords: Iran, Saudi-Arabia, Iraq, Sectarianism, Shia, Sunni.