The Saudi-Iran rivalry has been a fundamental fault line in the Middle East for decades and complicates most every major issue in the region, from the Syrian civil war to global oil markets.
A cold war in the Middle East just turned a lot hotter. Saudi Arabia, a Sunni power, and Iran, a Shiite one, have long been bitter rivals, but always maintained diplomatic relations — until now.
Saudi Arabia's execution of Shiite cleric Sheik Nimr al-Nimr has inflamed sectarian conflict and been strongly condemned by Iran. Now the Saudis have ordered Iranian diplomats out of the country.
Angry over the execution of Shiite cleric Sheik Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia, protesters gathered at the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, reports Iran's semi-official news agency. Some entered the building.
The deal in Saudi Arabia has been no taxation and no representation. Bottom-of-the-barrel crude prices changed the first half of the equation this week, as officials cut utility and gas subsidies.
It can be a provocative art show. Or teenagers going out for a walk. By law and tradition, Saudi women still face many restrictions. But they keep stretching the boundaries and the pace is picking up.
Saudi Arabian women made history by voting and winning public office for the first time. But there are still many obstacles to an equal role in public life.