'Iran Sets the Scene'

"...It is easier to describe these truly historic events than it is to gauge their full impact and implications. Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, arriving in New York a few days later, did everything he could to cast doubt on Rouhani’s credibility.Most of the Arab states of the Middle East, though less outspoken, were at least equally skeptical. The idea of Iran striking a deal with the United States to limit and monitor its nuclear program was viewed not so much as a potential triumph of diplomacy as a boost to Iran’s prestige and influence in the region, to the Arabs’ detriment. The idea of Iran sitting down at the table with international negotiators in Geneva to begin to work out a future settlement of the Syrian issue was viewed with nothing less than alarm, since much of the effort by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to arm and empower the Sunni opposition has perhaps been directed more against Iran than at the Assad regime.The Israeli and Arab front against a US opening to Iran will be heard, and registered, in Washington. ...."