(Al-Monitor) Ali Hashem - The rapid advance of Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) forces and the quick fall of Mosul on June 10 has become a matter of concern in Tehran, as the Iraqi army showed shocking weakness in this first serious encounter since the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. A senior Iranian National and Regional Security Affairs official told Al-Monitor, "Iran is ready to help, if the Iraqis ask....We will deal with Iraq like Syria. In Syria, they [the opposition] failed because of the Syrian government's determination and because of Damascus' allies' genuine help. In Iraq, the same will happen. As Syria emerged victorious, Iraq will [do the same]." Iran wants to invest in the Iraqi crisis to help end the Syrian war. It hopes to do so by bringing together states fighting each other via proxy in Syria in a unified front in Iraq.
2014-06-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive