The Sunni monarchy of
Saudi Arabia is among the most prominent countries backing the Syrian
opposition. Meanwhile, Iran -- the Shiite Islamic republic across the
Persian Gulf -- casts itself and its allies in Damascus as part of an "Axis of Resistance"
to domination of the region by outsiders. Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad has warned that "enemies are striving to waste Muslim
governments and nations' energy and wealth by pushing them to fight one
another," Iran's state-run news agency IRNA reported.
So what's at stake for Syria's neighbors?
The Saudis and some of
the neighboring Persian Gulf states fear Iran's push to develop nuclear
technology and the spread of Tehran's influence in the region. Bahrain's
rulers accused Iran of fomenting unrest among its majority Shiite
population during a wave of anti-government protests in 2011, but a
government inquiry later found little evidence to support that
contention. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates dispatched forces
to Bahrain to help bolster their smaller neighbor.
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