The Past and Present Friends of the United States in the Middle East: Iran and Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Different events, such as the Oil Crisis and the Iranian Revolution in the 1970s, influence the economic policy of the United States in the Middle East. As a result, Saudi Arabia has gained an advantage of having a closer relationship with the United States, and Iran's relationship with the United States deteriorated. The military policy is also more favorable toward Saudi Arabia than Iran. The last forty years changed the United States' interests in Iran and Saudi Arabia. The United States interest in the Middle East is as relevant today as it was at the beginning of the relationship with the two countries. Maintaining stability in the region has been a constant desire for the United States throughout the centuries. Maintaining stability in the region has been a constant desire for the United States throughout the decades. There are concerns the United States has with each country. With Iran the United States is concerned with their nuclear capabilities and with Saudi Arabia their oil. This thesis will demonstrate the different foreign policies the United States has with Iran and Saudi Arabia and how the policies influence the favoring of Saudi Arabia instead of Iran.