Saudi Iranian Relations after the rise of Mohammad Bin Salman
By Simon Mabon
Abstract
The son of King Salman, Mohammad Bin Salman (MbS) had already been one of the more powerful people in the Kingdom prior to becoming Crown Prince, but his new role positioned him as the next ruler of the Saudi state at a time of great regional and global uncertainty. Since being named Crown Prince, MbS has set in motion a transformative programme designed to do three things: 1) to consolidate his power; 2) to position the Saudi state to deal with future economic challenges; and 3) to secure the Kingdom’s position across the Middle East, particularly with regard to the challenge from Iran.
Simon Mabon, Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University and an expert on the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, explores Saudi-Iranian relations since the rise of Mohammad Bin Salman.