ABSTRACT
This chapter examines shifts in the Middle East regional balance of power, their causes and consequences, with a focus on the post–Arab uprising. After identifying the constants in the regional power struggle, particularly recurring cold wars, its major historical phases are identified. Next, the early phase of the Arab uprising is analyzed, particularly “competitive interference” in the uprising states by Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia at the expense of the traditional Arab powers, Egypt, Syria, and Iraq. The consequences of the uprising as they unfolded in its later phases are then identified, including sectarianization, failing states, the rise of non-state actors, and their consequences for shifting power balance.
