Simon Mabon is Professor of International Politics at Lancaster University. He is Director of SEPAD (the Sectarianism, Proxies and De-Sectarianization Project) which aims to trace the emergence and development of sectarian animosity in global politics. He has previously published Saudi Arabia and Iran: Soft Power Rivalry in the Middle East (2013), The Origins of ISIS (2016, co-author) and Houses Built on Sand (2020), along with several other edited collections. In 2016/17 Mabon served as academic advisor to the House of Lords International Relations Committee's inquiry into the UK's relationship with the Middle East.

'Challenging simplistic accounts of the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Mabon highlights the multi-layered nature of the competition and offers a systematic account of its impact across the region. With flowing prose, personal accounts and conceptual engagement with theory, Mabon presents a thoughtful, nuanced must-read for anyone trying to make sense of the Middle East.' Shahram Akbarzadeh, Deakin University

• Introduction; 1. States, sects and order; 2. The story of a kingdom and a republic; 3. Iraq; 4. Bahrain; 5. Lebanon; 6. Syria; 7. Yemen; Conclusions.

Simon Mabon is Professor of International Politics at Lancaster University. He is Director of SEPAD (the Sectarianism, Proxies and De-Sectarianization Project) which aims to trace the emergence and development of sectarian animosity in global politics. He has previously published Saudi Arabia and Iran: Soft Power Rivalry in the Middle East (2013), The Origins of ISIS (2016, co-author) and Houses Built on Sand (2020), along with several other edited collections. In 2016/17 Mabon served as academic advisor to the House of Lords International Relations Committee's inquiry into the UK's relationship with the Middle East.

'Challenging simplistic accounts of the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Mabon highlights the multi-layered nature of the competition and offers a systematic account of its impact across the region. With flowing prose, personal accounts and conceptual engagement with theory, Mabon presents a thoughtful, nuanced must-read for anyone trying to make sense of the Middle East.' Shahram Akbarzadeh, Deakin University

• Introduction; 1. States, sects and order; 2. The story of a kingdom and a republic; 3. Iraq; 4. Bahrain; 5. Lebanon; 6. Syria; 7. Yemen; Conclusions.

Simon Mabon is Professor of International Politics at Lancaster University. He is Director of SEPAD (the Sectarianism, Proxies and De-Sectarianization Project) which aims to trace the emergence and development of sectarian animosity in global politics. He has previously published Saudi Arabia and Iran: Soft Power Rivalry in the Middle East (2013), The Origins of ISIS (2016, co-author) and Houses Built on Sand (2020), along with several other edited collections. In 2016/17 Mabon served as academic advisor to the House of Lords International Relations Committee's inquiry into the UK's relationship with the Middle East.

'Challenging simplistic accounts of the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Mabon highlights the multi-layered nature of the competition and offers a systematic account of its impact across the region. With flowing prose, personal accounts and conceptual engagement with theory, Mabon presents a thoughtful, nuanced must-read for anyone trying to make sense of the Middle East.' Shahram Akbarzadeh, Deakin University

• Introduction; 1. States, sects and order; 2. The story of a kingdom and a republic; 3. Iraq; 4. Bahrain; 5. Lebanon; 6. Syria; 7. Yemen; Conclusions.