The long political struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia has shaped many conflicts across the Middle East. This article explores how the rivalry began, the key wars and political crises it influenced, and why its effects are still felt across the region today.
The relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia has become one of the most important political conflicts in the modern Middle East. However, it is not a typical war where two armies meet on a single battlefield. Instead, the tension between them plays out across many different countries through politics, alliances, and armed groups. For many years, both countries have tried to increase their power and influence in the region. They do this by supporting different governments, political groups, and militias. Because they usually avoid fighting each other directly, experts often call this kind of struggle a "proxy war." In a proxy war, powerful countries compete by backing different sides in other conflicts. To understand how the conflict between these two countries started, we need to look back to an important moment in Middle Eastern history: the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
Map illustrating the geopolitical competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia across key Middle Eastern conflict zones.
Iranian Revolution of 1979
Before 1979, Iran and Saudi Arabia were not enemies. In fact, both governments were closely aligned with the United States during the Cold War and played important roles in maintaining stability in the Persian Gulf. Iran was ruled by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a monarch whose government pursued strong ties with Western powers and promoted modernization at home. Saudi Arabia, governed by the House of Saud, also maintained a strategic partnership with Washington and shared concerns about Soviet influence in the region. This balance collapsed dramatically in 1979 when the Iranian Revolution overthrew the Shah's monarchy. In its place emerged a new political system: the Islamic Republic of Iran, led by the cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The revolution did more than change Iran's domestic politics. It introduced an ideological project that aimed to reshape politics across the Muslim world. Khomeini and his supporters framed their revolution as an example for other societies, encouraging Islamic movements to challenge secular governments and monarchies. This message immediately alarmed many leaders in the region, particularly those who ruled hereditary monarchies.
The Iranian Revolution of 1979 overthrew the Shah and established the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Why Iran's Islamic Revolution Worried Saudi Arabia
For Saudi Arabia, the message coming from Iran after the revolution felt like a serious threat. Saudi leaders believed their country had an important role in the Islamic world. The kingdom controls the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, which are the most sacred places in Islam. The government is also closely linked with a conservative form of Sunni Islam often connected to Wahhabi traditions. When Iran became a Shia Islamic republic and spoke about leading the Muslim world, Saudi Arabia saw this as a challenge to its influence. Religious differences were not the only reason for tension, but they made the situation more intense. Iran began presenting itself as a protector of Shia communities, while Saudi Arabia continued to see itself as a leading power within Sunni Islam. Because of these religious, political, and strategic differences, the relationship between the two countries quickly became much more tense and competitive.
1979 Shia Protests in Saudi Arabia
The year 1979 witnessed tensions not only between governments but also within societies. In Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, where a large portion of the country's Shia population resides, demonstrations erupted during the religious commemoration of Ashura. Protesters expressed long-standing frustrations over economic inequality, political marginalization, and restrictions on religious expression. Saudi security forces responded forcefully, and clashes broke out between demonstrators and authorities. Although these grievances had local roots, Saudi officials increasingly viewed them through the lens of the Iranian Revolution. The possibility that revolutionary ideas from Tehran could inspire unrest among Shia communities became a growing concern for the Saudi leadership. Throughout the 1980s, several political movements connected to Saudi Shia opposition operated from outside the kingdom. Some of these groups maintained ties with Iran and attempted to mobilize opposition against the Saudi government. Over time, more militant organizations emerged as well, including Hizbullah al-Hijaz, which carried out attacks on Saudi targets. These developments deepened distrust between Tehran and Riyadh and contributed to an atmosphere of mutual suspicion that would shape regional politics for decades.
Iran–Iraq War
Only a year after the Iranian Revolution, another major conflict erupted that further intensified tensions. In September 1980, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein launched an invasion of Iran, beginning the Iran–Iraq War. Saddam feared that the revolutionary ideology promoted by Iran might inspire rebellion among Iraq's own Shia population. Territorial disputes and longstanding rivalries between the two countries also contributed to the outbreak of war. Saudi Arabia and several other Arab governments supported Iraq during the conflict. Their backing was motivated largely by a desire to contain the spread of Iran's revolutionary influence across the region. Financial assistance and diplomatic support from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Gulf states helped sustain Iraq's war effort. The war dragged on for eight devastating years, ending in 1988 without a decisive victory for either side. The conflict caused immense destruction and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. While the fighting concluded without clear territorial changes, the political consequences were profound. The war hardened divisions between Iran and many Arab governments, especially Saudi Arabia.
Proxy Warfare in the Middle East
As direct confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia remained unlikely, both states increasingly turned toward indirect methods of competition. This approach gradually evolved into what analysts describe as a proxy war. In proxy conflicts, rival powers support different actors—governments, militias, or political movements—within local struggles. Through these alliances, external powers can expand influence and pursue strategic goals without engaging in open war against each other. Over time, several regional conflicts became intertwined with the broader Iran–Saudi rivalry. While many of these wars began as local disputes, the involvement of the two regional powers often intensified the fighting and transformed them into part of a wider geopolitical contest.
Lebanon and the Rise of Hezbollah
Lebanon was one of the first places where this conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia appeared. During the Lebanese Civil War, Iran helped create and support Hezbollah, a Shia political and armed group. Over time, Hezbollah grew into one of the strongest political and military forces in Lebanon. Hezbollah kept close connections with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The group also became part of a larger alliance sometimes called the "Axis of Resistance." This network includes governments and movements that oppose Israel, the United States, and some other regional powers. At the same time, Saudi Arabia supported Lebanese political groups that opposed Hezbollah's influence. Because of this outside involvement, Lebanon's politics became very complicated, with many groups sharing power and different countries trying to influence events.
Hezbollah became one of the most powerful armed groups in Lebanon with strong ties to Iran.