|
Trending Topics
|
Who Is the Middle East's Biggest Loser from the Arab Revolutions?
(American Interest) Walter Russell Mead - Iran is joined at the hip to Syria, the most hated regime in the Arab world. Turkey seems to be making a bid to pull Hamas away from its Syrian-Iranian allies; losing its connection to the radically-chic wing of Palestinian resistance will undercut Tehran even more. The Assad regime is damaged goods now, hated and scorned across the Arab world - but Tehran needs it more than ever. The realignments taking place across the region these days suggest that Iran is being pushed toward the fringes of Middle East politics. With Turkey more of a factor than before, and Saudi Arabia and its allies focused on their Shi'a religious and political archrivals, there is less room for Iranian meddling than the mullahs had hoped. For now Iran will have to face the critics of its nuclear program with fewer allies and less ability to summon public opinion to its side.