The events of the ‘Arab spring’ changed the balance of powers in the region of the Middle East. RIA Novosti invited experts to discuss the role of Iran in these changes.
Boris Dolgov, senior staff scientist at the Arab Studies Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Oriental Studies Institute
I’d like to add that, even though Iranian influence on the Arab world exists, I wouldn’t exaggerate its role. For instance, Egyptian media reported that there are some Shiite sects and pro-Shiite groups. So there is some influence, that’s quite clear. I can say nothing about Syria and the presence of the Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards there, but I believe all that is exaggerated. I don’t really think that Iranian forces took part in the suppression of the Syrian uprisings, simply because the Syrian elite has the necessary forces for such an operation itself. It’s well-known that Syria and Iran are allies, though their alliance isn’t formalized. There are some ties, including religious links, as the Alawi are Shiites. Still I think that the Iranian influence on Syria is exaggerated. To sum up, I would say that it’s common diplomatic practice to impose one’s influence on neighbouring countries. This practice will remain forever. For example, Saudi Arabia supports the Saleh regime, it delivers arms to Yemen and supports it financially. Saudi forces even bomb Housie bases. The same is seen in Bahrain. The uprising there was suppressed by Saudi forces, which used very harsh methods, so that 600 opposition members went missing, never to be seen again. Even one of Bahrain's poets was killed in prison during these events. That means that the Saudis are also trying to influence the region, but as I have just said, that’s common practice.
Alexander Ignatenko, member of the presidential Council for Relations with Religious Assosiations
I think you should read some Arab press, not Iranian but Arab, and you will find out that there is an Iranian bulwark in Lebanon named Hezbollah-stan. You will see that the Shiite influence on Syria is increasing; a lot of Iranians are arriving here, including those that are members of the Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Arab newspapers write that the Sunni uprising in Syria is being suppressed by Iranian forces. Iranian agents do not necessarily use weapons, they often serve as trainers. This is what the Arab media says. When the European Union imposed sanctions on Syria, it did not only impose sanctions against Syrian officials or oil deliveries, it also imposed certain sanctions against the Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. The Corps is not a Syrian organization, it is an Iranian organization. It is trying to influence other countries using rather extravagant methods. I don’t know for certain whether there are some Corps’ forces in Syria, but I believe that the EU wouldn’t have made such a decision for no reason. That means that European countries had some information about Iranian interference. I can continue. Mr. Dolgov has mentioned the events in Bahrain. Only the birds didn’t talk about the fact that arms and financial funds were provided by Iran. Iran has influence on Bahrain. The only thing I can agree with is that the Iranian Revolution did influence the development of the Middle East. When I worked at ITAR-TASS in the late 60s and there was an anniversary of the October Revolution, I translated (or I should rather say edited) a lot of articles about the way the Russian Revolution influenced Arab countries. Of course, the Iranian Revolution greatly influenced the whole region of the Middle East, even the whole world, even Venezuela. However one should not forget that the official line of Iran’s government is the export of the Islamic revolution. So the facts I mentioned are the results of the Iranian Revolution of 1979, as well as of current Iranian policy. This policy is conducted with the help of various instruments, including the Corps of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.
Oleg Peresypkin, the head of the Middle Eastern Studies Center at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Of course this or that state, having certain interests in this or that region, is trying to impose its influence on the countries situated there. Such an influence can be a military, a cultural, a political or a religious one. That is why I am not surprised that there is a Shiite sect of Hussies in Yemen and that Iran supports it. There is even a street in Tehran named after Abd al-Malik Hussie and the Iranians believe he deserved it. There is Hezbollah in Lebanon and there are the Alawi in Syria that have some links with Iran. That’s quite natural. Each party supports its agents abroad. In the Middle Ages there were two super-powers, Turkey and Iran, and they had difficult relations. And again, if the Kurdish population in Turkey supported Iran, the Turkmen in Iran supported Turkey. That’s natural. Each party has its own interests and uses all possible means to influence another. The thing is that they shouldn’t exceed all bounds and interfere in another country’s internal affairs in a brutal way.
By VK
