Syria as a Battleground for Saudi Arabia and Iran

The continuing unrest in Syria is turning the country into another battleground in the regional competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Syria and Iran have long been allies; were a Sunni Arab regime with closer ties to Riyadh to take the place of the Alawite minority-led government in Damascus, the loss to Tehran's regional influence would be profound. While Saudi Arabia has not actively sought to topple the Syrian regime, Syria's present crisis presents an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to turn back the gains Iran has made since 2003 — though Tehran can be expected to put considerable resources toward ensuring the Syrian regime's survival.