Publication

This commentary examines the grievances of minorities in the oil-rich regions of Iran and Saudi Arabia. In general, the author contends that rather than recognizing that protests and mounting incidents of violence in these regions are the result of government failure to address legitimate grievances, both Iran and Saudi Arabia have blamed each other for the unrest in their territories. He also argues that 1) both Iran and Saudi Arabia could effectively prevent foreign meddling by adopting policies that ensure that their minorities are fully integrated as equals in their countries, and 2) their failure to do this, and to address the conflict and tensions that their discriminatory and repressive policies create, undermines both countries’ claims of legitimacy in the struggle for regional dominance.