Though King Fahd did not officially ascend to the throne of Saudi Arabia until 1982—three years after the Revolution—he played a key political role in Saudi foreign policy for decades before that, especially during the reigns of King Faisal and King Khalid. As Minister of Interior and later Second Deputy Prime Minister, Fahd was deeply involved in shaping Saudi Arabia’s regional strategies and in conducting key diplomatic relations, including those with Iran under Mohammad Reza Shah.
