Iran and the New World Order Following the Arab Spring

Simon Tisdall, writing at the Guardian, argues that the Arab spring has “punctured the illusion, cultivated by Iran, of harmonious relations with the Arab world and has instead highlighted its isolation.” As unrest continues in Syria, Tisdall believes that Tehran will become increasingly isolated, especially if the Alawi Shi’a Assad regime is overthrown and a Sunni majority leadership comes to power.  With a drastic shift in Egypt’s geo-political outlook coupled with the increasingly assertive actions of the Gulf states and the troubles in Syria, Tisdall believes that the Arab world is being re-made in an image that deeply troubles the Iranian regime.

Geoffrey Aronson discusses the implications of the Arab spring with regards to the changing world order beyond just the Middle East.  Aronson believes that the Arab spring will have far reaching implications including a drastic change in the Iran-Saudi relationship, a growing importance for a solution in Palestine, a change in Western policy towards Iran’s nuclear program, as well as the death of Pan-Arabism and George Bush’s “blood and treasure” modeled freedom agenda.