In just nine years, Iran has gone from being a regional power to witnessing the complete collapse of its influence in the Middle East.

The loss of Syria, a growing energy crisis, and a crippling ‘brain drain’ have put into question the future of a country that dreamed of reviving Persian greatness.

Flashback to 2015. Tehran celebrates the signing of a nuclear deal with the US and other world powers. Sanctions are about to be lifted, and the economy is ready for growth.

The ‘Shiite Crescent’ — from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf — seems to be a fait accompli.

Iranian proxies control key points in the region: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Assad in Syria, Shiite militias in Iraq and Houthis in Yemen.

Supreme leader Ali Khamenei speaks of Iran approaching the “zenith” of its power. The Persian empire seems to be reborn in a new form.

Then the cookie crumbled.

The first blows came during Trump's first presidency. In 2018, he tore up the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed harsh sanctions on Tehran. The Iranian rial collapsed, and inflation skyrocketed.

But the real shock came with the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in 2020. An American missile struck his convoy neat the Baghdad airport, the architect of Iranian expansion in the Middle East died instantly.........

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