The suggestion was that the common religion gives good potential for cooperation between Iran, Iraq, Alawite-dominated Syria and the politically powerful Shia militia Hezbollah in Lebanon; as well, the suggestion was that these others would be proxies for Iran in a regional power play.
A proposal was made that religious ties could lead to collaboration between Iran, Iraq, Syria under Alawite rule, and Hezbollah in Lebanon; this idea suggested that these groups would be used by Iran to expand its influence in the region.