The war in the Middle East leaves Central Asia caught between fear and opportunity The war involving Iran has stirred mixed and uneasy reactions across Central Asia. The region, which has long seen itself as an island of relative stability between competing great powers, now faces a dilemma: both an Iranian collapse and an Iranian victory carry risks. Since gaining independence, the countries of Central Asia (broadly know in the West as ‘The Stans’) haven’t operated in what might be called a