"Both Syria and Iran have achieved a political victory," said Dawood al-Shirian, a Saudi hosts a talk show on Dubai TV.
"Lebanon once again has paid a heavy price and Syria and Iran have once again taken credit."
Iran may feel its bargaining hand has become stronger as the
August 31 deadline the UN has given it to halt its uranium enrichment activities approaches.
Iran is due to announce on August 22 its reply to a package of incentives offered by the US and Europe aimed at enticing it to suspend enrichment.
Mostly Shi'ite, non-Arab Iran may also try to ride on the new wave of popularity of the Shi'ite Hizbollah group in the region to make inroads into the Arab Sunni world.
The popularity of Hezbollah's chief, Hasan Nasrallah, has grown even among Sunnis in Saudi Arabia, whose strict school of Islam considers Shi'ites as heretics.
In Nasrallah, Iran can find a mouthpiece more attractive in the Arab world than Tehran's own leaders.
Arab countries - particularly in the Gulf - are wary of Iran and its nuclear program, and the stronger Iran is seen the more nervous it makes its regional rivals.
"Whereas Nasrallah, even though he's a Shi'ite, he's an Arab, he speaks in Arabic ... he doesn't give a particularly Shi'ite message," a senior US official in Washington said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Syria, on the other hand, may feel that it can play a more influential role after years of isolation, increased by international pressure on it since last year's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, widely blamed on Syria although Damascus has denied any link.
Arab, US and Western diplomats generally snubbed Damascus during negotiations over a resolution to the Lebanon fighting.
But they may have to turn to Syria in the next big tussle, the issue of disarming Hezbollah.
A strong Hezbollah also gives Damascus a window to regain the influence it lost when it withdrew from Lebanon last year.
In his speech claiming a Hezbollah victory, Syrian President Bashar Assad lashed out at Arab regimes that have criticised Hezbollah for kidnapping two Israeli soldiers on July 12 and starting the war.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan - all allies of the United States - were against Hezbollah's actions at the start of the conflict.
"We do not ask anyone to fight with us or for us ... But he should at least not adopt the enemy's views," Mr Assad said.
Oqab Sakr, a Lebanese analyst, said Mr Assad's remarks were tantamount to "a final divorce from the Arab regimes and a full marriage with Iran".
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are already starting to push back.
Saudi Arabia's crown prince met with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Riyadh and underlined that the UN ceasefire resolution, which calls for Hezbollah's eventual disarming, be implemented.
A front page editorial of a state-run Egyptian daily, meanwhile, derided Mr Assad's speech - a rare overt criticism by one Arab government of another.
The editorial in the Al-Gomhuria daily scoffed at Mr Assad, saying he was celebrating "a victory scored by others".
"Your speech was untimely because you poured more gas on the fire," the editorial said, addressing Mr Assad.
"Duplicity no longer works ... You should be prepared now for political and economic pressure put on you because of this speech."