Iran poses a threat to regional stability, academics claim

Iran's "expansionist and interventionist" tendencies have become a cause of concern in the region, academics say.

"Iran's increased influence in Iraq, and its support of Syria's Assad, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and Yemen's Houthis as well as its cooperation with Shias in Pakistan and Afghanistan have become quite bothersome for countries in the region, and its peoples," Mehmet Şahin, associate professor and vice chairman of the Ankara-based Institute of Strategic Thinking, told Anadolu Agency Wednesday.

The Gulf countries see Iran as a state which risks regional security for its own, Sahin said, adding that last month's nuclear deal signed between the country and world powers constituted another cause of major concern in the region.

"Saudi Arabia, in particular, is concerned about this deal as it thinks it will empower Iran, causing it to interfere even more in the affairs of regional countries," Şahin added.

Saudi Arabia had called for the restoration of UN sanctions against Iran in case it broke the terms of the deal signed on July 14 in Vienna between Iran, the EU and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council including China, France, Russia, U.K., U.S. plus Germany.

Professor Tayyar Arı, head of Uludağ University's International Relations Department, said that Iran's alleged support for Shia elements had played a role in not only in Iraq's current situation, but it was also a factor in destabilization of the region.

"Instead of preventing this, Iran pursues a policy which is rather augmentative. There is also a widespread notion that it will become an even bigger threat considering its nuclear capacity," Ari said.

Pointing out Iran's "well-established expansionist policy which takes advantage of regional political instability," Arı said that Iran's military and security structure were "totally focused on this."

"By tradition, it is inclined to expand its area of influence through taking advantage of and instigating the sectarian and ethnical structures in other countries. All things considered, we can predict that Iran will continue to pursue its current policy, which still remains a big threat against regional stability," he added.