The August 2020 edition of the IRMO Brief, authored by Jadranka Polović, deals with the influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Middle East. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran was striving to establish itself as a dominant regional power and the main adversary of the United States and its key regional allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Iran is also trying to benefit from the vacuum created by the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq and to strengthen its clout in the region, namely Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. However, assassination of general Qasem Soleimani in January this year dealt a severe blow to Iran’s sprawling influence in the Middle East. The author also analyses how the massive explosion in Beirut on August 4th that severely damaged the reputation of key Iranian ally Hezbollah, will affect Iran’s influence in Lebanon and the region.
Iran’s Influence in the Middle East
