The Big Story: The New Persian Empire

Updates

December 3, 2016: OPEC freezes production. 

April 10, 2015: the fractured legacy of the Mideast mapmakers. 

April 1, 2015: The Washington Times explains why President Obama is taking on the biggest risk of his presidency: negotiating with Iran. 

“With all this turmoil in the Arab world, you need a workable relationship with the other side,” said Shawn Brimley, a former director for strategic planning in the White House. “You can’t argue with Iran’s importance in the region. That’s why Obama is taking this extremely seriously.”

March 28, 2015, 8:50 p.m.: Iran's designs on the Middle East. 

Later, 3:13 p.m.: supporting the idea that Persia is rising, it is now being reported that Saudi Arabia also wants to go nuclear.  Another Obama legacy -- giving the green light to Iran to go nuclear with a) promise to let them develop their program unfettered; and, b) giving top cover to the mullahs by releasing details of Israel's nuclear program.
 

Original Post

At the link on the sidebar on the right I have something I call "The Big Story." I'm not sure I want to add "The New Persian Empire" to the list of "big stories" but the tea leaves suggest this is the new direction things are taking. The reason I hesitate is because this direction may only be temporary -- as long as this administration is in office. Things may change in two years, but right now it looks like "Persia Rising." I like to limit the "Big Stories" to those that have longevity.

For the archives, it looks like this will be the year that the sanctions on Iran ends. Iran will be able to develop its nuclear program unfettered. With the release of previously-classified US Department of Defense documents regarding Israel's nuclear program, this gives the Iranian mullahs the top cover they need to develop their own program. Iran seems to have successfully exported any internal terrorism to Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and now, possibly to Somalia. Even as Iraq seems to be imploding -- certainly Iraq's trajectory towards a stronger, safer, westernized nation is going ballistic -- Iran seems to be gathering itself, and preparing to become a major player on the global stage. Even now, which country carries more weight in the UN, Iraq or Iran? That's an open book question.

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