Understanding Iran and the North African Uprisings

Iran is not part of the Arab world, and in fact if you were to call an Iranian an Arab they would be quite insulted by the label. They are their own unique and seperate Persian culture. Yet Iran is certainly involved and intertwined with events in the Arab world, the Muslim world, and the Greater Middle East from North Africa down through Pakistan. It is an entire region of the world that is in total upheavel at the moment with U.S. led wars in Afghanistan/Pakistan and Iraq; the governments of Eygpt and Tunisia falling under the protests of mass demonstrations; Libya and Behrain engaged in Civil wars to keep from going down same that path; Al-Qaeda operating out of its new stronghold in Yemen; and the omni-present Isreal-Palistine conflict.