Arab Shiites cannot be ignored thanks to the rise of the Shiite political identity in Iraq, establishing a bridge between Iranian and Arab Shiites. The Gulf States are concerned about the growing influence of Shiites in neighbouring countries, expressing their fears of the relations established between the Shiites of Iran and Iraq and their own Shiite communities. Shiites have long-standing historical ties with Iran’s Shiites on one side, and with Arab Shiites in other Arab countries, such as Kuwait, Bahrain and Lebanon. The most important and oldest Shiite religious institution, the Najaf Seminary south of Baghdad, brings together Shiite clergy from the Indian subcontinent to Iran and the Arab world. This major force poses a challenge to the Sunni regimes in the Arab world, especially in countries neighbouring Iraq and Iran. The challenge is not only religious differences. The ‘Saudi Cables,’ made public on 19 June by WikiLeaks, revealed the Arab regimes’ concerns over the rise of Shiite identity in the region.