It has long been assumed that the differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia were primarily civilizational and ideological. On the one hand, Iran is the modern incarnation of Persia, one of eight distinct ancient civilizations, which at its historical peak during the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 500 B.C.) ruled parts of what is today Central Asia, North Africa, Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and of course, what some refer to as the Middle East and others call West Asia. At its height, it was one of the largest empires in world history, one deeply admired by the world beaters who followed, including Alexander the Great.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia is the modern incarnation of another major civilization that would rise and dominate the same
