Background[]
The Iranian-American War saw a decisive shift in the balance of power across the Middle East. The West Asia League, led by Iran and Turkey, had successfully defeated a coalition of Western nations led by the United States. Saudi Arabia and Israel were left weakened and isolated. Saudi Arabia, after losing the entire Eastern Province of its Kingdom to the Islamic Emirate of Bahrain (where the vast majority of the country's oil fields were located, faced internal instability and regional isolation. Without oil, the country struggled economically and its citizens began to demand reforms.
As both internal dissent and external threats from the West Asia League (namely Iran and Turkey) increased, the Saudi Arabian King became increasingly reliant on French and Israeli military and economic support for his survival. France and Israel built dozens of military bases in the country, but this also had the effect of causing the Saudi King to lose legitimacy as both the leader of the Muslim/Arab World and the custodian of Islam's holy sites. In particular, allowing Israel -- widely seen as the enemy of Arabs and Muslims -- to have a presence in the land of Mecca and Medina was seen as sacrilegious by millions of Muslims.
Both Iran and Turkey took advantage of Saudi Arabia's weakness, calling them "a cancer on the Ummah" and "a fake country". Saudi Arabia was expelled from the Arab League in 2029 after it agreed to allow Israeli bases in the country, and the remaining Gulf kingdoms: Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates all distanced themselves from Saudi Arabia politically, economically, and militarily -- pulling out of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2027 and joining the West Asia League.
While Israel -- after losing the Galilee to Palestine -- launched a war of attrition immediately after the Iranian-American War ended against Palestine, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iran hoping to regain lost territory and prevent Iran and Turkey from expanding as regional powers. To make matters worse in 2032, as both the Second American Civil War and the Puerto Rican War of Independence (funded by Iran) waged on, the United States makes a deal with Iran: That Iran will stop supplying missiles to Puerto Rican separatists, while the US stops funding Israel and Saudi Arabia.
In July 2033, Saudi Arabia, desperate to reassert itself, launches an invasion of Bahrain, with the support of France and Israel. This aggressive move prompted a swift response from the West Asia League, sparking the Second West Asia League War.
The Course of the War[]
1. Saudi Invasion of Bahrain and West Asia League Counterattack (July – October 2033):
Saudi Arabia initiated the conflict by launching an invasion of the Islamic Emirate of Bahrain, hoping to retake lost territory. However, Iran, backed by the UAE and Qatar diplomatically and by Turkey, Yemen, the IEB, Islamic Resistance of Iraq, and the Muslim Brotherhood of Arabia, swiftly responded with a powerful counterattack. By September 2033, Saudi forces were pushed out of Bahrain, and the West Asia League forces rapidly advanced into Saudi territory. The Saudi army, weakened and poorly coordinated, crumbled under the West Asia League’s advance.
2. Fall of Riyadh and the Collapse of Saudi Arabia (November 2033 – January 2034):
As the West Asia League forces advanced, the Saudi capital, Riyadh, came under siege in November 2033. Despite efforts by France and Israel to provide military support, the kingdom’s defenses were quickly overwhelmed. In January 2034, Riyadh fell, and the King was killed in the final assault, marking the collapse of the Saudi monarchy. Saudi Arabia ceased to exist as a unified state, and its territories were partitioned among various factions, with Iran and Turkey exerting significant control.
3. Israeli Invasion of Palestine and West Asia League Response (December 2033 – April 2034):
While the West Asia League was dismantling Saudi Arabia, Israel launched an invasion of Palestine (the northern territories formerly part of Israel), hoping to capitalize on the chaos. However, Iran, Syria, and Turkey rapidly redirected their forces to this new front. By early 2034, Israeli forces were decisively defeated in a series of battles, including a failed push toward Haifa. Iran and its allies stationed in Jordan, swept across the West Bank and launched an all-out assault on Jerusalem -- a symbolic city for both Israel and Palestine. Greece, worried about an ascendant Turkey and its ramifications for the Eastern Mediterranean, decided to send troops to defend Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. After a brutal battle, Jerusalem fell to the West Asia League in April 2034.
4. Fall of Tel Aviv and the End of Israel (May – June 2034):
With Israeli defenses collapsing, the West Asia League launched a final assault on Tel Aviv in May 2034. The Israelis and their allies put up stiff resistance, but they were completely outnumbered and outmatched by the West Asia League. The Israeli government, already on the verge of collapse, fell within weeks. By June 2034, the state of Israel had officially ceased to exist. Its remaining territories were absorbed into Palestine, which now encompassed all the former lands of Israel.
Aftermath[]
The rapid and overwhelming victory of the West Asia League reshaped the political landscape of the Middle East, marking the end of Western domination in the region.
Partition of Saudi Arabia[]
After the fall of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was partitioned. The eastern regions, including the vital oil-rich areas, came under Iranian influence. Meanwhile, the western half of the country, including Mecca and Medina, was taken over by a Muslim Brotherhood-aligned regime backed by Turkey. This new government positioned itself as the new protector of Islam’s holiest sites, further weakening the legitimacy of the Saudi royal family.
Fall of Israel and Expansion of Palestine[]
With Israel’s destruction, Palestine, which had already gained control over northern Israel during the Iranian-American War, expanded to encompass all former Israeli territory. The region was unified under a Palestinian government backed by Iran and its allies, solidifying the West Asia League’s dominance in the Levant. All non-native Jews were expelled, while Jews native to Palestine were allowed to stay and were granted equal rights under a confessional system.
End of Western Influence[]
France’s intervention in support of Saudi Arabia and Israel proved futile. The war marked the end of significant Western influence in West Asia, as both of its primary regional allies were decisively defeated. France and other Western powers withdrew from the region, marking a final retreat from the Middle East.
New Regional Order[]
The victory of the West Asia League established Iran and Turkey as the dominant powers in the region. The Muslim Brotherhood-aligned regime in western Saudi Arabia, the expansion of Palestine, and Iran’s control over key oil resources redefined the political landscape of the Middle East. The West Asia League now controlled vast swathes of territory, including former Israeli and Saudi lands, and emerged as the leading force in West Asia.
Casualties[]
• Civilian casualties: 150,000+
• Military casualties: 250,000+
• Displacement: Millions of refugees fled Saudi Arabia and Israel during the course of the war, leading to one of the largest refugee crises in the region’s history.
Legacy[]
The Second West Asia League War marked the definitive end of Western and Israeli influence in the Middle East. The destruction of Israel, the partition of Saudi Arabia, and the withdrawal of France from the region all contributed to a new geopolitical order dominated by Iran, Turkey, and the West Asia League. This conflict is seen as the final blow to the post-World War I colonial borders, with the Middle East now fully under the control of regional powers, free from external interference.