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Arabs View the Nuclear Deal as a U.S. Shift towards Iran
(Al Arabiya) Hisham Melhem - The nuclear deal is seen by many Arabs as signifying the beginning of an American strategic shift towards Iran as the regional influential, at a time when they are locked in what they and the Iranians see as an epochal geo-political struggle. In a region where perception usually trumps reality, the nuclear deal comes at a time when many people in the region believe that America's influence in the Middle East and beyond is declining, and that Iran is a rising power. The nuclear deal, as touted by Iranian officials and their allies, is seen as a validation of Iran's narrative of its indispensable regional role, even for the U.S., as demonstrated in the tacit alliance between Iran and the U.S. against ISIS in Iraq. President Obama himself reinforced this Iranian narrative, by his talk of Iran becoming "a very successful regional power" without conditioning his recognition of this status on a shift in Iran's behavior. One can understand Arab concern that the U.S. is gradually lowering its profile in the Middle East-Gulf region, and pushing it further under Iran's shadow.