Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, Saudi Arabia has been concerned about the potential influence of Iran’s supreme leader among its Shi’a population, especially since Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei took on the title of Vali-ye faqih, or “guardian-jurist.” Such concern is understandable given that the two countries are both neighbors and rivals: Khamenei is a marj’a, the highest-ranking Shi’a religious authority, but he is also the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Armed Forces. This concern over Iranian influence among the Saudi Shi’a community reached its peak following the Khobar Towers bombing on June 25, 1996, a terrorist attack that targeted members of the United States Air Force’s 4404th Wing (Provisional). This paper aims to investigate the Iranian influence within the Shi’a community in Saudi Arabia by focusing on the followers of the supreme leader’s marj’aiyyah, known as “Khat al-Imam,” and its military wing, “Hezbollah Al-Hejaz,” often he
March 9, 2021: The government denied any connection with a bombing that occurred January 29
th near the Israeli embassy in Delhi (the Indian capital). Iran has been using this denial tactic for decades. In the case of the Delhi bombing Iran may well have not been directly responsible, but the denial was seen as normal for Iran. These denials are still effective at slowing down sanctions or designation as an international terrorist. What Iran is admitting or claiming is progress in developing nuclear weapons. The purpose of all these attacks and threats is to persuade Western nations to lift sanctions on Iran. Iran appears confident that this is working because they are illegally exporting more oil to India and China. This is risky because the tankers carrying these shipments can be intercepted and seized. As soon as the new American government took power in January, Iran told current and past customers for discounted smuggled oil that Iranian oil woul
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