Mohammadjavad Akbarin, a member of Iran International’s editorial board, said that by weakening Hamas and Hezbollah, the Islamic Republic has been relying more than ever on Yemen’s Houthis and on proxy forces in Iraq; forces that, according to him, can be used to counter Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

At the same time, he considers the three-way defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan to be part of the formation of a new equation in the region—an alliance, Akbarin says, that, contrary to what the Islamic Republic imagines, was not formed to confront Israel, but rather taking into account threats arising from Tehran.