Four Maps That Explain Iran’s Place in the Middle East

Despite being one of history's most influential civilizations, Iran has been consigned to the position of a secondary regional power for the foreseeable future. These maps explain why.

by George Friedman
October 8, 2016

If you ranked the civilizations that have most affected the course of human development, Persia would be among those at the top of the list. We forget this because in recent centuries, the various states that have ruled in present-day Iran have been either weak or isolated from the rest of the world.

Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, that has changed, and there was even a short-lived moment (right before the Syrian civil war broke out) where it seemed that Iran was poised to challenge for at least regional hegemony in the Middle East. That chance collapsed, and Iran has been consigned to the position of a secondary regional power for the foreseeable future. The four maps below explain why.

Geographical Limitations