Iran and Russia are becoming more and more influential in Syria, basically due to the erroneous policies of the U.S. and the total passivism of the EU. The totality of Syria has been turned into an open battleground, while Iraq as a coherent entity does not really exist anymore, nor does Yemen, to a much deeper degree. Lebanon is really struggling to keep its integrity, whereas Saudi Arabia is federating a coalition of different Gulf monarchies against Qatar, which remains very vulnerable politically, notwithstanding open Turkish support.

This incredible and intricate situation has created huge turmoil within the domestic policies of all the countries in the region. The most visible examples are Iran, Saudi Arabia and Russia. There has been a full-scale "palace coup" in Saudi Arabia, which has shaken the foundations of the Wahhabi monarchy. Probably for the first time in its history, the Kingdom had to deal with mounting discontent regarding the corruption of the ruling elites, together for a demand for much flexible implementation of sharia rules in social life. For the time being, the regime change in Saudi Arabia remains to be what it is, a "palace coup." Nothing very tangible has yet emerged out of the first blunt measures taken against an important number of dignitaries. Some rules have been slightly bent, allowing women to drive cars in the Kingdom, which was not allowed beforehand. Saudi Arabia sacked its chief of general staff and high commander of the air force, probably on the grounds that the war in Yemen is turning into a shameful disaster. Perhaps more changes are yet to come, but it is obvious that the regime is still trying to find a true perspective to settle, without really finding a plausible, democratic opening for it.

Iran is in a dire situation domestically speaking. The regime still has a very tight grip on public life, where anything remotely resembling democratic functioning is absent. The rather shallow implementation of the headscarf has been a public issue recently, where a number of young Iranian women protested by putting their veils on the end of sticks and waving them like flags. The regime first wanted to react strongly, but the moderate wing of the ruling elite did succeed in establishing an acceptable modus vivendi by decriminalizing the refusal to wear a veil.

However, the anti-veil movement seems to have succeeded to get a tiny margin of room to maneuver, which should not be seen as a real opening on the part of the regime. The domestic tensions are still very tangible, and the absence of any reformation of the regime can perfectly open up the way to a full-scale popular uprising. Already signs of such turmoil are evident. Despite the very strong and authoritarian organization of the state apparatus, Iranian regime does not "deliver" anymore.

Low oil prices can be one explanation among others, but a years-long embargo has severely challenged the Iranian economy. Once it was over, great expectations emerged in the public opinion, thinking that the external trade of the Islamic republic would be at last freed. The war in Syria is costing Iran far too much money, whilst the liberalization of the external trade is still very hesitant. The Trump administration would even see the embargo re-enacted, although such a perspective does not look very probable.

Russia is altogether in a different world; the transition from the Communist party rule toward an acceptable democracy never took place. The former Soviet nomenclature has created a very authoritarian, oppressive regime, where the ruling President Vladimir Putin looks untouchable. All opposition is silenced immediately through extremely brutal means. International law is largely overlooked, as in the case of Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine. Still, despite a very nationalistic discourse, the regime is also severely hampered by the low oil prices and a very costly war in the Middle East. For the first time since the early Cold War, Russian planes have been downed, with the pilots losing their lives. There is no visible oppositional dynamics in Russia, because it is under very tight control and pressure, but more and more, this totalitarianism is exacerbating its own contradictions.

As a conclusion, major forces in action in the Middle East, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia are all having very difficult times domestically, which shows that undemocratic regimes cannot really take advantage of the external conflict to assess their legitimacy. The present situation of the war in the Middle East clearly shows the importance of a transparent, participatory, democratic functioning, the "soft power" in a way, rather than the military power. All interested parties and analysts should take this issue very seriously into consideration.