What explains the crisis in US-Saudi relations?

Abstract: The tension in relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States is rooted in the transformation of regional politics, as well as in societal changes in Saudi Arabia itself. The Middle East regional balance of power was upset by the Iraq War in 2003, which enabled the rise of Iran. Furthermore, the wave of democratization in the Arab world in 2011 has undermined the very foundations on which regional security and regime stability have been built. With its tacit recognition of Iran’s growing relative strength, regional powers, and especially Saudi Arabia, see the Obama Administration as exacerbating the situation, and this perception has contributed to creating a rift between the two traditional allies. Saudi Arabia feels abandoned in terms of managing its own security needs, particularly in regard to the rise of Iran, democratization, and the rise of Salafi extremism.