Iran vs. Saudi Arabia
Since the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the Iran Nuclear deal, things have been heating up in the Persian Gulf. Attacks on oil tankers and the downing of an American high-tech drone have led many to fear that we are sliding into yet another war in the Middle East. Behind the scenes, the rivalry between Sunni Monarchist Islam led by Saudi Arabia and Revolutionary Shia Islam led by Iran has been manifested in proxy wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.
What are our options in the region? How do we manage the conflict in the Persian Gulf? Should we continue to side with the Saudis and try to isolate Iran? What lessons have we learned from our previous entanglements in the region?
*This event will be held at Edinboro University's William P. Alexander Music Center located at 110 Kiltie Road, Edinboro, PA 16444
Dr. Baher Ghosheh, Ph.D., is a scholar-in-residence at the Jefferson Educational Society in Erie, Pennsylvania. An expert in Middle Eastern Studies, he holds a Ph.D. in Economic Development from SUNY-Buffalo and was a Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, cultural and economic Geography at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania until retiring in 2022. He has graduate degrees in International Relations/Middle Eastern Studies, International Trade, and Comparative Economic Development. A native of Jerusalem, Dr. Ghosheh has lived in eight countries, traveled to 59 countries, and has taught in Japan, China, Russia, Italy, and Morocco. He was awarded a Fulbright to conduct research in Malaysia and Singapore and was selected as the Pennsylvania Geographer of the Year and Edinboro University’s Educator of the Year.
