Middle East

Saudi Arabia Provoked Iran To Cover Economic Woes, Analysts Say

The ongoing standoff between Saudi Arabia and Iran is born out of the kingdom's economic woes, according to Gulf analysts. Saudi Arabia faces significant problems on multiple fronts, including new and serious domestic and foreign policy concerns.

"Its economy is suffering considerably from the low cost of petroleum, which, for complex reasons, Riyadh itself is helping to maintain," said Hussien Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. "Current tensions with Iran don't bode well for stability of oil pricing either. This economic pressure on the Saudi social and political system may help to explain the timing of the executions."