Iran has always been independent, despite some attempted interference by Russia and the UK. The House of Saud established itself in 1744 and gradually expanded its control over the Arabian Peninsula without colonial domination. In 1927 the UK recognized Saudi Arabia as an independent country. North Yemen became independent in 1918, following collapse of the Ottoman Empire. South Yemen became a UK protectorate (Aden) until 1967, when it became independent. They merged in the 1990s. Oman had to deal with a few Portuguese forts on the coast from 1508 - 1650, but has been free of foreign interference since then. The emirates that became the UAE voluntarily became a UK protectorate in 1853 after giving up on pirating activities. The UK maintained maritime peace, but did not rule the emirates themselves. Seven of them merged into the UAE in 1971 and ended the protectorate relationship. The other two, Bahrain and Qatar, each became independent that year. Kuwait was established in the early 1700s and remained independent until the 1870s when it fell under Ottoman control. It became a UK protectorate in 1920 and independent in 1961. Iraq endured centuries of Ottoman control until it became a UK protectorate in 1917. It became independent in 1932. Syria endured centuries of Ottoman control until it became a French protectorate in 1920. It became independent in 1936. Lebanon endured centuries of Ottoman control until it became a French protectorate in 1920. It became independent in 1943. Jordan endured centuries of Ottoman control until it became a UK protectorate in 1920. In 1922 Jordan and Palestine were partitioned. Jordan became independent in 1946. Israel/Palestine endured centuries of Ottoman control until it became a UK protectorate in 1920. European-Jewish immigration began in earnest in the 1840s and grew steadily after that, intensifying significantly leading up to and after WWII. Both Israel and Palestine became independent countries in 1948. Palestine and its Arab allies started, and lost, a war which cost them control of their country. Egypt was under Ottoman control from 1517 - 1882, with a brief foray by the French around 1800. The UK established defacto control from 1882 - 1922, when Egypt gained independence. Sudan was not organized for purposes of the Westphalian system of nation-states until around 1820, when the Ottomans gained control. It became a UK protectorate in 1898 and independent in 1953. Libya was under Ottoman control from 1553 - 1912, when Italy invaded and took control. The Allies invaded in 1942 and Libya became independent in 1951. I doubt one can deny the lingering difficulties resulting from European political boundaries drawn in the ever-shifting sands. But to say the middle east was "never allowed to pursue" democracy due to Euro-colonialism is ridiculous. Formal Euro control lasted anywhere from a few years to a few decades. While the Euros certainly meddled both before and after formal control, their influence on the indigenous culture (upon which democracy will flourish or fail) pales in comparison to that exerted by the Ottoman Turks (also Muslims). To blame the lack of self-government in the middle east on a few years to a few generations of European oversight (and don't forget those places that never suffered any) implies the colonizers actually possessed as much cultural superiority as they arrogantly presumed themselves to have, else they could not have so completely devastated the indigenous cultures in so short a time.

Iran is the Germany of the Middle East, and it's a country we've got a long history of screwing over.

What, exactly, constitutes the history of "screwing over" Germany?????