Iran is a Persian, not Arabic country. Its people are almost entirely Shiite. With the fall of the Shah and the Islamic revolution, a Shiite government was installed in Tehran. This is a marked contrast to the ruling powers in the Arab Islamic nations where the Sunnis exert tight control even though there are large, and often impoverished, Shiite populations. What the mullahs have done from their base in Iran is to stir up Shiite communities throughout the Middle East and encourage them to take control of their governments. This is what is happening in Lebanon, in Bahrain and will happen at some time in the near future in Saudi Arabia and other countries.
The United States did not create this conflict, which has spanned thirteen centuries, with our invasion in Iraq. Unwittingly, however, with our emphasis on democracy in the Middle East we have provided the means for Shiites to seize control in their countries – both at the ballot box and in elections.