Iran the Great Unifier? The Arab World Is Wary

With a confrontational foreign policy, the world’s only Shiite Islamic government is striving to fill a power void in the Middle East resulting from the fall of Arab nationalism and the absence of any dominant nation. Yet other leaders in the region are wary. Drawing popular support for its hardline stance towards the US and Israel, Iran maintains connections to militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, which could threaten stability in other Middle Eastern countries. Moreover, Iran’s nuclear aspirations breed fears of an ultimately destabilizing arms race that would threaten regional security. Iran’s quest for regional superpower status has raised suspicions among Arab Muslims, the vast majority of whom are Sunni and anticipate the Republic to advance a Shiite agenda. The Sunni and Shiite Muslims have long been at odds in many ways, and Sunni leaders do not want to cede any political, economic or religious control to Iran. – YaleGlobal