Lesson 4: Saudi Arabia and Iran
September 1, 2022
Review:
- Oil and Conflict in the Middle East
- Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia video
- War in Syria: Who is fighting and why
Presentation:
- Rivalry
- Saudi Arabia – Sunni majority
- Iran – Shi’a majority
- Shi’a vs Sunni
- Map of Shi’a vs Sunni population concentrations
- Relative peace until 1979 Iranian Revolution
- Ayatollah Khomeini encouraged uprising against US-Backed Monarchies, specifically Saudi Arabia
- Cold War in the Middle East
- Oil
- Saudi Arabia
- Economy weakening, future less certain, signs of trouble
- Saudi Aramco
- World’s largest energy company (CNN Money video)
- IPO in 2019 and now Publicly Traded stock
- Proceeds to finance industrial diversification
- Saudi Arabia Shifting to Solar
- Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
- CIA believes MBS ordered Khashoggi murder
- More recently, MBS hacked Jeff Bezos
- Khashoggi worked at the Washington Post, owned by Bezos
- Woman who campaigned for women’s rights imprisoned
- US-Saudi relations
- Trump v. Biden Admin
- Saudi Arabia Uncovered (01:40-09:00)
Assignment:
- Study for Quiz 01 (Tues)
Recommended (not required)
