REGIONAL COMPETITION BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN: THE DILEMA OF CONFLICT AND CONSENSUS

Abstract

This article analyzes the competition between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran for increasing their influence in the Middle East region and a number of factors causing conflicts. In particular, specific aspects of the geopolitical interests of the two countries, ethno-confessional contradictions, the essence of “competition” that arose as a result of the influence of external forces are discussed.