A new Middle East is being built by Iran

On Saturday, the US Navy announced it was dispatching a nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine to the Persian Gulf, passing Egypt's Suez Canal on its way to Bahrain.

Including the exact path and exact location of the vessel was a calculated move: The United States has been assessing Iran's Shiite militia network throughout the region for the past week.

A submarine containing 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles' immediate goal is to strengthen US naval presence in the Gulf by adding significant firepower on Iran's doorstep — a clear signal to Tehran that the US is willing to take action to protect its interests.

In response, Iran announced that its naval fleet would conduct a large exercise in the Gulf and Red Sea - a declaration that Tehran views itself as free to operate anywhere.

There is also a strategic dimension to Washington's move. The US is highly concerned about a growing axis in the region between Iran, Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia. The meeting between Iran and Saudi Arabia on Thursday, and the declarations about renewing diplomatic relations and opening mutual embassies, were seen as a victory for Beijing.

As a result of Iranian animosity towards the US and Saudi disappointment and anger towards Washington and US President Joe Biden, China achieved a significant feat.

The increasing self-confidence of Tehran is being felt throughout the entire region, and these developments have profound repercussions for Israel, which has witnessed an increase in activity along its northern border — including the largest barrage of rockets from Lebanon since 2006 on Thursday, as well as rockets fired by Syria.

Even as Hezbollah attempted to distance itself and Israel formally declared that Hamas forces in southern Lebanon were accountable for the rocket fire, the Iranian International news outlet on Saturday cited anonymous sources who claimed that Iran and Hezbollah were aware of Thursday's fire in advance.

Someone wanted to make sure that Tehran understood clearly that Israel knows exactly who was behind the rocket fire by publishing an early warning on a website that was monitored minute by minute by the Iranian regime and senior leadership in Tehran.

According to the report, Israel's attacks in Lebanon and Gaza were not a reaction to attacks from Lebanon and Gaza, but rather a message to the Islamic Republic.

Despite the escalating hostilities and threats between Israel and Iran, another significant event took place in Yemen's capital on Sunday: peace talks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen to end the war. A meeting like this would not have been possible without Tehran's approval, which supports the Houthi minority.

If the Houthis' attention and activity are redirected toward the Jewish state, an end to the conflict in Yemen could result in consequences for Jerusalem. Houthi rebels are Iranian militias, just like Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. As the firepower of Tehran would increase if the Yemen war ended, the chances of the peace overtures succeeding are high.

The US must be faced with a unified front

To build an anti-US axis, Iran has decided to lower tensions with Sunni Arab countries. China's support of Iran for reestablishing relations with Saudi Arabia is only one link in the chain.

The development of Iran's relations with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Armenia, as well as its growing ties with Russia, are all directly related to this policy. The Iranian regime claims that this creates a united front against the "great Satan," America, and that it will increase Iran's commitment to directly attacking American targets and its readiness to engage Israel in the conflict in Lebanon and Syria.

Since the Abraham Accords, which constrained Tehran's efforts to expand its sphere of influence, any positive relationship with a Sunni Muslim country serves their strategic interests.

An indication of Iran's willingness to go further can be found in the following story:

Iran openly supported one of the leaders of the Shiite minority in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was a prominent figure in the Shiite struggle for recognition and rights seven years ago.

In response to his execution, the Saudi monarchy stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran, which has been shuttered ever since. The street where the embassy was located was renamed Sheikh Nimr Street a few days later.

The Sheikh Nimr street sign had been removed even before the first Saudi diplomat arrived to reopen the Saudi embassy in Tehran on Saturday.