You can blame the European colonial powers for redrawing the borders in the region in 1918-20 after the collapse of the Ottoman empire.
Six months ago, at the end of Iran’s presidential election, I speculated that the long-lived theocratic dictatorship in Iran may be a lot closer to its end than its beginning: If you can plausibly say "This cannot go on forever," you are also saying "Some day this will come to an end.” Read More