This AGSIW panel discussion examines a wide range of issues arising from the flare-up between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the aftermath of the execution of a leading Saudi Shia dissident cleric, the attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

How far will the Saudi-Iranian confrontation grow? Is the Middle East trapped in a sectarian confrontation, or can other factors provide an alternative framework that enhances regional stability? What will the impact be on a wide range of American policy goals, including the battle against ISIL and other terrorist groups, the quest for peace in Syria, and vital issues involving Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and other regional hotspots? How will Washington manage its increasingly tense relationship with a traditional ally, Saudi Arabia, while seeking a new relationship with a traditional foe, Iran, in the context of the nuclear agreement? And how will these two states manage not only their relations with each other, but also with the United States?

Panelists:

David Ottaway, Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center

Barbara Slavin, Acting Director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council

Randa Slim, Non-resident Senior Fellow at the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute

Hussein Ibish, Senior Resident Scholar, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington (Moderator)