As ISIL filled the vacuum left by the abdication of American power by the Obama administration, so now Iran will occupy the space left by ISIL. The Obama administration romanced Iran, but snubbed and even humiliated traditional American allies, like Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Kuwait. A puppet of Hezbollah — the Iranian proxy army and governing authority in Lebanon — Hariri has been “indisposed” since his resignation. With the demise of ISIL, Iran wields power in a continuous arc from Tehran to the Mediterranean. Does he maintain his most recent rapprochement with Hamas, despite its collusion with Iran, and risk angering Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel?

Source: National Post November 20, 2017 12:22 UTC