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Source: http://mideast-mirror.net/
No Shift with New Head of Iran's National Security Council
(An-Nahar-Lebanon-Middle East Mirror) Mona-Lisa Freiha - After Ali Shamkhani was appointed as the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council in September 2013, there was much speculation about a new Iranian policy towards the Arabs. Shamkhani's historical relations with the Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, gave rise to some optimism that the wall of hostility between the Sunni kingdom and the Shiite Islamic republic may be torn down. Moreover, his old connections in Iraq and his contacts with the authorities in Baghdad, Najaf, and Irbil to end the Iraqi government crisis last August, fed the rumors that he had been put in charge of the Iraqi file. The devastation that befell the Iranian-led axis, stretching from Iran to the Mediterranean via Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, gave the impression that the man's appointment was a manifestation of political realism, indicating that Iran was heading towards abandoning Revolutionary Guard al-Qods Brigade commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani's military and security approach to the region's issues, in favor of a calmer political approach. But the course of events has proven that the Iranian position only changed due to developments on the ground and ISIS's invasion, more than due to any substantive shift in policy. And the situation in Syria is no different, with Tehran still clinging to the same policy towards the regime as before. The renewed verbal exchanges between Riyadh and Tehran are evidence that this old warrior is still determined to pursue politics in his military uniform, and that he stands in the line of defense behind the immediate line of fire - one where he continues to be in charge.