Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
The first proxy war was set in Iraq, involving Saddam Hussein invasion of Iran in response to the 1979 Revolution and its commitment to exporting its ideology to other countries. This resulted in the eight-year eighth-year-long Iran-Iraq war, in which Saudi Arabia backed Ir, ref, When Iraqi troops invaded Saudi Arabia's ally Kuwait in 1990, however, Saudi got directly involved in the offensive against Iraq with the help of the United States. In 2003 the Americans led an invasion toppling the Iraqi government, creating a power vacuum in the region. Because Iran was concerned that they might be the next target of the Americans, it supported Shiite militias in their fight against American forces. Saudi Arabia remained more passive during the invasion, likely to avoid any complications in its relations with the United States. As the American troops withdrew from Iraq in 2011 and with the rise of Islamic State in 2014, Iran's influence in the country grew. More recently, Iran has played a role in suppressing the Iraqi Kurdish call for independence, whereas Saudi Arabia are said to support the Kurds.