A little over a month has passed since the nuclear deal was signed on July 14, and the Islamic Republic of Iran has not stopped reaping the benefits. Not only did it get a deal that assures it a nuclear bomb in the future (as soon as it wants one), along the way $150 billion will also pour into its coffers. Iran has also been offered attractive economic deals, while establishing its regional status, which turns it -- who would have believed -- from the regional criminal to the sheriff, in countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. And that's not all: Iran has also won recognition -- for the first time since the Khomeini revolution in 1979 -- from the West. It's as if we are dreaming. But this isn't enough for the ayatollahs. With more food comes a greater appetite. On Tuesday, Iran declared that it expects to sign an anti-aircraft missile deal next week to acquire advanced S-300s from Russia, evidently meant to protect Iran against an air attack. Truth be told, why should we be surprised? After learning that one of the nuclear clauses obligates the global powers to preserve and secure Iran's nuclear project, why shouldn't they provide Tehran with the S-300 as well- Incidentally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, back in April, signed the decree allowing Russia to sell Iran the missiles. A reminder: At that time they were still trying to tell us that the S-300 deal was not a sure thing; that the chances of it coming to fruition were 50-50. No kidding. The Iranians, of course, do not intend to settle for missiles, and simultaneously with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's visit to Moscow, they have also announced their intention to make additional purchases. No, they aren't talking about souvenirs from St. Petersburg, but weapons, obviously. The shopping list is long and corresponds to Iran's ambitions. Beyond giving it a nuclear capability, why not also upgrade Iran's conventional military capabilities as well. Russia and Iran are in the process of becoming closer. During the nuclear talks, the Russians were always sympathetic to the Iranian position. The Iranians are in the process of maximizing profits: Not only did they get a great deal, from their perspective, from the American administration; they are also bolstering relations with the Russians. They aren't shy about sending the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Ghasem Soleimani, to Moscow either. The fact that the Russians also aren't shy about hosting him proves just how much our global reality has changed. During their trip to Russia, Iranian officials boasted to their hosts about the "new political reality in the region." Russia played no small part in this. U.S. President Barack Obama upgraded Iran in the region, and in addition to his failed policies in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, he is increasingly inviting Russia to encroach on the region. Can someone explain to us where the American interest is hidden in this story? If it does exist, it is concealed very well in the secret clauses of the nuclear deal. We can assume that the opposite is true. From whatever angle we look at this story, it's bad. In the meantime, in Damascus, Syrian President Bashar Assad is struggling to understand why he deserves so much good fortune. His two patrons, Iran and Russia, are growing stronger in the region. And to think, just two years ago we thought Obama would attack Assad for using chemical weapons. Not only did he not attack -- he made Assad's keepers stronger. On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, Republican Senator Bob Corker, the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced his opposition to the deal, because not only does it fail to ensure Iran never becomes nuclear, it makes it an integral part of the administration's strategy. Joining Corker that same day was Sen. Robert Menendez, a senior Democrat, who did not trust the Iranians or the emerging deal from the outset. As of now, however, "only" 56 senators have declared their opposition to the deal. A total of 67 righteous souls need to be found in Washington to stop it. Not simply because it is a terrible deal, but because of the new political reality in our region, of which the Iranians are so proud.
