"Saudi Arabia is Iran's greatest rival in the battle for regional hegemony. Their rivalry is being played out in Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain and especially Syria - if Assad's regime falls, it could tip the balance of power.
The conflict between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran is exemplified by their relationship to Syria and Bahrain. Whereas the Saudis want Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad to step down and are supplying the opposition with weapons, Tehran continues to support the president and has even reportedly sent special troops to crack down on the insurgency. The Lebanese Shiite militia, Hezbollah, which is largely funded by Iran, is also fighting with the Syrian regime.
However, Saudi Arabia is not supporting the insurgents because it wants democracy in the region. At the beginning of 2011, it sent its troops and tanks to Bahrain to help crack down on a popular Shiite insurgency against the autocratic Sunni ruling family. Tehran protested and called on Bahrain's Shiites to continue their insurgency."
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