WSJ: “Arab Spring Turns Up Heat on Iran”

Farnaz Fassihi writes in the Wall Street Journal that Iran’s support for Syria “has rapidly eroded Tehran’s credibility among Arab’s” resulting in a “foreign policy dilemma” for Iran.  Fassihi argues that Iran’s support for President Bashar al-Assad will further isolate Iran within the region, however, abandoning Assad “will crumble Iran’s platform in Syria.”

Fassihi writes that Iranian officials have taken a “selective approach” to the Arab Spring hailing Egypt’s movements as an “Islamic Awakening” and criticizing Syria’s unrest as a “plot by Israel and the West.”  With Libya, Iran criticized NATO’s military campaign.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reported that the uprisings are “legitimate only if they are anti-Western and anti-Israeli.”  Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani has reported that Iran should be dealing with the uprisings in a “diplomatic, rather than ideological, way that would enhance its interests.”

A new poll conducted by the Arab-American Institute released in July, included six Arab countries and showed that Iran’s popularity had decreased dramatically within the region.  More then 4,000 Arabs were asked questions on whether Iran contributed to peace and stability in the region.  In Egypt, 37 percent had a favorable view of Iran. In Saudi Arabia, 6 percent had a favorable view of Iran and in Jordan, 23 percent did.