‘Is it Iran’s Middle East now?’ Is the question many are asking following the lifting of sanctions by the international community. ‘Today, a country that threatens the existence of Israel, denies the Holocaust, destabilises the Middle East, subjugates its own people and supports terror across the globe is being strengthened by the international community,’ said Yesh Atid Party leader Yair Lapid yesterday.

However, leading regional expert Jonathan Spyer thinks the Middle East is not Iran’s for the taking. While the single best organised and most aggressive alliance active currently in the Middle East is the bloc of states and movements gathered around the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the nuclear deal will lead to an increase in Iranian regional ambitions, both the built in limitations of Iranian methods and the sectarian nature of the conflicts in question mean we are not likely to see Iranian domination of the Middle East.

Our Voice of the Week is former Knesset member Einat Wilf explaining how world powers can move the peace process forward. Washington Institute Senior Fellow Ghaith al-Omari analyzes Wilf’s proposal and lays out some of the obstacles.

Our Image of the Week is of Jerusalem Municipality workers protesting in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem against layoff of hundreds of workers. 17 January 2016. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Is it Iran’s Middle East now?

by Jonathan Spyer