I don’t think there is a good chance of a MAD stalemate between Iran and Saudi Arabia. They are eager to go to war, apocalyptic in outlook, and so it may be that the first one who gets them is the first one who uses them.
“I don’t think there is a good chance of a MAD stalemate between Iran and Saudi Arabia. “
Ahmadinejad started and ended every speech with a prayer to God to bring the Mahdi. That’s their Armageddon. Iran will use the bomb at the first opportunity and it will most likely be used against Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are nowhere near as crazy as the Iranians. They have a life of luxury to live for. If they feel threatened and they think they must fire first to continue living, they will.
The problem with Saudi Arabia is, I suspect, their government is fragile and their military is decorative.
The Saudis wanted Iran to lose the oil price war and they are not going to stop there.
As long as Mecca goes first.