Saudi-Iranian relations since the fall of Saddam : : rivalry, cooperation, and implications for U.S. policy / / Frederic Wehrey ... [et al.].

• Author: Smith Richardson Foundation.
• TeilnehmendeR: Wehrey, Frederic M.; Smith Richardson Foundation.; Rand Corporation. National Security Research Division.
• Year of Publication: 2009
• Language: English
• Series: Monograph / Rand Corporation
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (157 p.)
• Notes: "Sponsored by the Smith Richardson Foundation."; "Rand National Security Research Division."; "MG-840-SRF."

The often tense relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been at the center of many of the major political shifts that have occurred in the Middle East since the fall of Saddam Hussein. This book surveys Saudi-Iranian relations since 2003, focusing on how they have affected and been affected by the major events in the Persian Gulf and the Levant, as well as the implications for U.S. policy in the region.

Table of Contents

Cover; Preface; Contents; Summary; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; CHAPTER ONE: Introduction: Saudi Arabia and Iran-Between Confrontation and Cooperation; Deep Bilateral Tensions Affect Regional Stability and U.S. Interests; Conventional Thinking About Saudi-Iranian Relations Must Be Reexamined; This Study Helps Fill an Important Policy Gap; CHAPTER TWO: Sectarianism and Ideology in the Saudi-Iranian Relationship; Post-Saddam Relations Unfold Against a Turbulent Backdrop; Iran's "Arab Street" Strategy Provokes Dissent Inside Saudi Arabia

Anti-Shiism in Saudi Arabia: Manifestations and EffectsManaging Sectarianism: Saudi-Iranian Efforts to Regulate Tensions; Conclusion: Sectarianism and Ideology Shape Relations, but Do Not Define Them; CHAPTER THREE: Relations in the "Core": Conflict Regulation in the Gulf and Iraq; Disunity and Diversity in the GCC Have TemperedBilateral Relations; Iraq Is a Wellspring of Bilateral Tension Affecting the Broader Gulf; The Nuclear Issue Has Spurred Tension, but also Mutual Threat Management; Differences over Oil and Gas Are Sources of Further Contention; Conclusion

CHAPTER FOUR: Contention on the Periphery: Saudi-Iranian Relations and the Conflicts in Lebanon and PalestineDevelopments in Lebanon Have Stimulated Competition, but Riyadh and Tehran Have Avoided Open Conflict; Saudi Arabia Is Pursuing Multilateral Diplomacy to Counter Iranian Influence on the Palestinian Front; Saudi Arabia Has Focused on Isolating Syria to "Clip Iran's Wings"; Conclusion; CHAPTER FIVE: Conclusion: Key Findings and Implications for U.S. Policy; Toward a More Nuanced Understanding: This Study's Key Findings; Implications for U.S. Policy; Bibliography