Is Iran the new regional superpower?

Is Iran the new regional superpower? Submitted by Kayhan Barzegar on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 18:34 The US-Israeli war has upended the power balance in the Middle East, as Tehran finds itself with significant global leverage A banner depicts missiles being fired behind Iranians who are rallying in solidarity with the government, at Valiasr Square in Tehran on 6 April 2026 (Atta Kenare/AFP) On The Iran war , which began in February with a joint Israeli - US attack, has seen Tehran combine its trans-regional deterrence strategy with its domestic defence doctrine.  The strong national and social solidarity that emerged after the war broke out - a clear public rejection of foreign interference - also provided the Iranian state with a significant advantage.  This situation has challenged the aggressors’ superior military technology. Today, the line of defence begins in the Iranian homeland and spreads across the broader region.   Before both the current war and the 12-day war in June 2025, Iran’s deterrence strategy was based largely on an “offensive defence” approach, comprising a network outside of its national borders: the “axis of resistance” across Lebanon , Syria , Iraq and Yemen . But the US-Israeli war showed Iran that it has even more cards to play: its ability to implement full control over the Strait of Hormuz, and by extension much of the global oil supply, constitutes a massive bargaining chip. The war had thus led Iran to better appreciate the significance of its geography and superior geopolitics. By expanding the war across the region and attacking US assets in the Gulf, Tehran has further highlighted the vulnerability of the global economy. I...

Original source: Middle East Eye