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Iran Remains Our Biggest Challenge

(Washington Post) Eric Edelman, Dennis Ross and Ray Takeyh - As the U.S. begins its campaign to destroy the Islamic State, many voices can be counted on to call for cooperation with Iran. However, the theocratic Iranian regime and its attempt to upend the regional order remains the U.S.' most consequential long-term challenge in the Middle East. The Islamic Republic is not a normal nation-state seeking to realize its legitimate interests but an ideological entity mired in manufactured conspiracies. In today's disorderly region, Iran sees a unique opportunity to project its influence and undermine the U.S. and its system of alliances. Today, in Syria and Iraq, Iran's interests are inimical to those of the U.S. Our interests strongly argue against working with Iran against the Islamic State in Syria lest we lose the very Sunni support that will be necessary to eradicate the group. Similarly in Iraq, any putative alliance with Iran would undo much of what the U.S. has attempted to accomplish there. The only way that President Obama's objective of "destroying" the Islamic State can be achieved is by taking back, over time, much of the territory seized by its fighters in Nineveh and Anbar provinces. This will require significant buy-in from the Sunni tribes who formed the backbone of the uprising against al-Qaeda during the surge, which will be unattainable if there is a perception that the U.S. is seeking a de facto alliance with Iran. Eric Edelman served as U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy from 2005 to 2009. Dennis Ross was special assistant to the president for the Middle East and South Asia from 2009 to 2011. Ray Takeyh is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
2014-09-19 00:00:00
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