Everything you need to know about the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran

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(CNN Spanish) --

The conflict between Arabia and Saudi Arabia and Iran, the two largest countries in the Persian Gulf and leaders in the Islamic world, has been setting the pace in the Middle East for decades.

But where does this enmity come from and what does it imply?

This is a glimpse.

• As the US pulls out of the region, Saudi Arabia and Iran try to patch things up

Basic data

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran are two countries in the Middle East that are located on both sides of the Persian Gulf, a region they share with Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

Saudi Arabia, whose capital is Riyadh, has a population of 34 million inhabitants -mostly Arabs- and also shares borders with Jordan and Yemen.

The current leader is King Salman, although his son and his crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is believed to have a lot of power.

Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

Iran, with its capital in Tehran, has a population of about 85 million — mainly Persians, but also Azeris and Kurds, among others — and also borders Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.

The country is led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while Ebrahim Raisi is the current Prime Minister.

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Both are oil countries, although Iran's economy is more diversified.

In the case of Saudi Arabia, it is estimated that the country accumulates 22% of global oil reserves.

Saudi Arabia is also an important ally of the United States in the region, while Iran is one of its main antagonists: Tehran and Washington have not had diplomatic relations since 1980.

The divisions in Islam

Saudi Arabia and Iran are confessional states that adhere to Islam, but they do so to two variants of this religion that have been in conflict since the 7th century.

They also follow Islamic law, or sharia, within their respective interpretations.

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Saudi Arabia is dominated by Sunni Islam (85-95% of the total population), with a minority professing Shia Islam (10-15%), and marginal numbers of adherents of other religions.

Specifically, the royal family of Saudi Arabia professes Wahhabism, a branch of Sunni Islam that has become the official variant of the kingdom, where other branches of Islam are restricted and public displays of other religions are prohibited.

The country is also home to the two holiest cities in all of Islam, both Sunni and Shia.

These are Medina and Mecca, whose Kaaba shrine is the scene of massive pilgrimages — or hajj, also known as hajj — every year, giving Saudi Arabia a central role in Islam worldwide.

In Iran, on the other hand, Shiite Islam predominates (90-95%), followed by Sunni Islam (5-10%) and other religions.

Kaaba Shrine in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

(Credit: ABDEL GHANI BASHIR/AFP via Getty Images)

The official branch of Islam in Iran is Twelver Shiism or Imami, and other forms of Islam are restricted.

Iran is the country with the highest percentage of Shiite Muslims among its followers in the Middle East, and the country is considered a protector of Shiites in the world.

Iraq and Bahrain have Shiite majorities among their followers, and there are significant Shiite minorities in Syria and Lebanon.

This entire region is known as the "Shia crescent".

Decades of geopolitical confrontation

Religious enemies, Saudi Arabia and Iran have also been on opposite sides geopolitically: they are natural rivals in global oil markets and compete for influence in the Middle East and among Muslims.

Both countries have supported opposing sides in regional conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and maintain equidistant relations with the United States.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran.

Saudi Arabia is not only a historical ally of Washington.

It has also lent its territory for US military operations in the region, such as the Gulf War (1990-1991), and the United States still maintains military bases in the country.

In the case of Iran, diplomatic relations with the United States - a former ally - have been severed since 1980, after the triumph of the Islamic Revolution that imposed a theocracy in the country.

The Shia clerics who promoted the revolution had Washington as one of their main enemies.

In 2016, the confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a new peak when Riyadh ordered the execution of the Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, accused of sedition and incitement to violence and terrorism.

The trial was criticized by human rights organizations.

The execution also sparked a wave of violent protests in Iran against the Saudi Arabian embassy, ​​and the countries subsequently severed diplomatic relations.

In 2019, in addition, the territory of Saudi Arabia was hit with ballistic missiles allegedly launched by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who would have the support of Iran.

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