Disputes between Saudi Arabia and Iran

TURKEY

Med. Sea

LEBANON Sunni-Shia-Christian coalition

EGYPT Cairo

SUDAN

ERITREA

ETHIOPIA

SYRIA Alawite (Shia sect) minority government

AZERBAIJAN

IRAQ Shia-led coalition government

Qatif governorate Shia-majority population

SAUDI ARABIA Riyadh

Mecca

Red Sea

Sanaa

Sunni Muslim

Shia Muslim

400km 250 miles

IRAN Tehran

Persian Gulf

BAHRAIN

QATAR

UAE

OMAN

Gulf of Oman

Arabian Sea

YEMEN Iranian-aligned rebels seize capital, Sanaa, and topple Sunni government

1987: Clashes in Muslim holy city of Mecca result in deaths of 275 Iranian pilgrims. Protesters in Tehran occupy Saudi embassy. Riyadh cuts diplomatic relations

2003: U.S.-led invasion topples Saddam Hussein and empowers Iraq’s Shia majority. Ousted Baath Party officers form alliance with Al Qaeda in Iraq which leads to rise of so called Islamic State (Daesh)

2011: Saudi Arabia and UAE send 2,000 troops to Bahrain to crush mass pro-democracy protests by Shia majority during Arab Spring

2011: Riyadh accuses its Shia minority, including figurehead cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, of collaborating with Iran. Al-Nimr is charged with “instigating unrest”

2012: Saudi Arabia backs rebels fighting to topple Iran’s ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

2015: Saudi-led coalition launches bombing campaign in Yemen against Shia Houthi rebels

2016: Execution of al-Nimr triggers attack on Saudi embassy in Iran. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Sudan, Kuwait and UAE cut diplomatic ties with Iran

Sources: United States Institute of Peace, Pew Research Center