The island of Bahrain is where Iranian and Saudi interests intersect. The tiny country is ruled by a Sunni monarchy with a Shiite majority population. If the situation in Bahrain gets out of control, the U.S. could lose a base for its 5th Fleet and the possibility for withdrawal from Iraq. Shia minorities in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia could follow with their own protests. Once that happens it could affect the world's most important oil-producing region. It is for these reasons why tiny Bahrain could emerge as a flashpoint in the Persian Gulf