Malaysia’s Iran dilemma

In a desperate attempt to rally international support,

Iran’s leaders – what’s left of them

– are leaning heavily on the familiar refrain of Muslim unity in the face of

US and Israeli aggression

. While anti-Americanism is an easy trope for Muslim societies to rally around, the truth for Tehran is that this does not easily translate to “pro-Iran”.

For many Arab countries, the immediate threat is Iran itself as it sends

volleys of missiles and drones at the Gulf monarchies

. Turkey, whose influence in the region has been growing, has condemned the attacks by Israel and the United States but has been cautious not to align itself with Iran. It will no doubt derive strategic benefit from a weakened Persian neighbour. Pakistan and Afghanistan, themselves locked in their own conflict, would be concerned about a potential spillover should the Iranian conflict intensify.