海角大神

Iran is closely watching the unfolding crisis between Israel and the United States over Israeli settlements 鈥� and Jerusalem clashes with Palestinians that injured more than 100 today 鈥� for ways to rejuvenate its diminished influence in the Middle East.

Public division between the US and its closest ally Israel 鈥� two arch-foes of Iran that have made curbing Iran鈥檚 nuclear ambitions a top priority 鈥� are a gift to the Islamic Republic, analysts say, as it tries to fend off US and Israeli efforts to forge a coalition against it. Hard-line officials will use it as a further example of the US as a lapsed superpower 鈥� a point they frequently affirm.

Iran has seen its reputation tarnished across much of the Middle East by weeks of violent street clashes after the June 2009 presidential election, which many Iranians believe was rigged.

鈥淭he Iranians are going to see an opportunity to improve their position in the region, to capitalize on Israel鈥檚 reduced standing vis-脿-vis the US, to reduce the chances of an anti-Iran coalition being formed,鈥� says Meir Javedanfar, an Israel-based Iran analyst.

鈥淚f the situation drags on 鈥� and especially if Israel continues to defy the United States 鈥� I think the Iranians will definitely take advantage, and will try to make an agreement, especially with the Persian Gulf countries,鈥� not to gang up against Iran, says Mr. Javedanfar, coauthor of The Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran. 鈥淭hey would be able to say to them: 鈥楲ook, the Americans are not even able to convince their friends to do what they want. They鈥檙e going to have much less chance to stand up to their enemies such as Iran.鈥�

Why Israel helps Iran keep its 'revolutionary' status

Demonizing the US and Israel 鈥� sometimes referred to in Iran's ideological parlance as the "Great Satan" and "Little Satan" 鈥� has been a pillar of the regime since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

After more than 31 years, chants of 鈥淒eath to America!鈥� and 鈥淒eath to Israel!鈥� and flag burning remain routine at pro-regime rallies. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad often claims that Israel鈥檚 oppressive policies against Palestinians will cause the destruction of the Jewish state.

Such a result 鈥� were it ever to happen 鈥� would relieve Iran of a constant thorn in its side, but also deprive it of one of the perennial enemies it has used to maintain its 鈥渞evolutionary鈥� status.

Iran slams Israel over 1,600 housing units

Iranian officials kept up that pressure on Tuesday, taking Israel to task for its announcement to build 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem 鈥� made during Vice President Joe Biden鈥檚 visit last week 鈥� and for the rebuilding of an East Jerusalem synagogue that was destroyed in 1948.

鈥淭his wrong conduct by the illegitimate Zionist regime ... is intensely condemned,鈥� Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Tuesday. 鈥淲e think that these trips [by US officials] are intended to cover up the Zionist regime鈥檚 conduct and US authorities are largely incapacitated [in the face of] the Zionist regime鈥檚 crimes.鈥�

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that result indicated American weakness. Washington was not following through on promises of 鈥渞especting鈥� the rights of Muslims, and that Israel had made an 鈥渋nsult against Islamic culture.鈥�

鈥淒espite the Americans coming and going to the area and discussing the matters with them, the Israelis and the Zionist regime apparently don鈥檛 pay any attention,鈥� Mr. Larijani said at a press conference, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. That result 鈥渃an be analyzed as a serious threat against the Americans.鈥�

Petraeus warns the US looks increasingly weak

The US-Israeli crisis has come to a head two months after US CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus sent a team to the Pentagon to brief Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen about his rising concern over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to a published over the weekend in Foreign Policy magazine, Gen. Petraeus鈥� team reported 鈥渢hat there was a growing perception among Arab leaders that the US was incapable of standing up to Israel, that CENTCOM鈥檚 mostly Arab constituency was losing faith in American promises, [and] that Israeli intransigence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was jeopardizing US standing in the region鈥︹��

Such a high-profile US-Israeli disagreement 鈥渨ould be looked at with a smile鈥� in Tehran, where Ahmadinejad is trying to position himself as a leader of all Muslims, says Massoumeh Torfeh, an Iran specialist at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

The Iranians 鈥渨on鈥檛 feel it is the end of the line 鈥� just a little moment of disagreement between these two nations because they are so inter-connected.鈥� But the Iranian reaction, she adds, 鈥渟hould be seen in terms of politics. They can see that they have a serious problem inside [Iran], so they really need to have a [bigger] role in regional and international politics.

How Iran can use Israel crisis to boost its clout among Arabs

The US-Israel flap is providing some space for that.

鈥淭he Iranians will try to use it as a tool in their box, to define Israel as a pariah state,鈥� says Javedanfar. 鈥淣ow more people on the Arab street will have more time for what Iran is saying 鈥� not Tehran鈥檚 streets [where anti-regime clashes have been episodic], but on the Arab street.鈥�

Iranian officials have rarely strayed from triumphant criticism of US policy, in a narrative that portrays the US as a lapsed superpower. The deputy ground forces commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Abdollah Eraghi, replied to Petraeus, : 鈥淚 think you've heard it said by pundits that Iran has gone from a theocracy to a thugocracy."

鈥淯nintelligent and shameless statements by the destitute and vanquished US military chief in the Middle East show how far the foreign policy of the United States has been degraded,鈥� said commander Eraghi said last week, according to Fars News Agency. 鈥淭he United States supports the most thuggish regime in the world, which is the Zionist regime.鈥�