Who should America support in the Saudi-Iranian feud?

It's hard to know what the U.S. should do

Iranian women protest the killing of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr
(Image credit: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Saudi Arabia and Iran are in a tiff.

Saudi Arabia's execution of the Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr sparked protests across the Middle East and, now, a diplomatic row. After Shia-majority Iran made a barely-veiled threat against Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia, and protesters stormed Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran, the kingdom cut diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic, giving Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.

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Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is a writer and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His writing has appeared at Forbes, The Atlantic, First Things, Commentary Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Federalist, Quartz, and other places. He lives in Paris with his beloved wife and daughter.