By Ron Unz
The Unz Review
October 20, 2026
Prior to the disruptions of the current Iran War, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) had spent more than a half-century as the world's leading oil exporter. That crucial economic role and the vast gusher of wealth thus generated had established KSA as one of the most important countries in the world.
The Middle East is a dangerous neighborhood, and the Saudis had long recognized that fact.