Iran is leading a new bloc , with Turkey and Qatar, intent on remaking the greater Middle East. The Iranian leadership recognizes that this drive might lead to a regional war and is actively preparing for such an eventuality. Iran’s timing is logical. The main fratricidal wars in the region – mainly in Syria and Iraq – are slowing down because of the exhaustion of the main warring factions. The modern Arab states of the past decades are effectively gone. Neither continued recognition by global powers and international entities nor the chimera of elections will alter these dynamics. Hence, the overall dynamic affects all the countries of the region and all the great powers with interests there. Russia, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and Israel are taking active measures – from political to military – to contain and reverse the Iranian ascent. In all of this, the U.S. […]