Without oil both countries would fall back into oblivion. Nations of sheep and camel herders living in a middle age society. And that would be the end of their story. Who in the West would really care about this dry arid land? The conflict Iran vs SA would just be another shrug in the rest of the world.
Sadly, as long as the West does not get rid of its dependency on oil, it will always have 'interests' in the region especially SA. And of course there is the military-industrial complex making a few bucks with that misery.
What really bothers me, how can any civilized open society with human rights support any of those countries?
