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Regional Changes Put New Pressure on Iran

(Israel Hayom) Prof. Eyal Zisser - The U.S. peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan and Turkey's increasing involvement in the Syrian quagmire are both dangerous from Iran's perspective. The Americans invaded Afghanistan to neutralize the threat it posed to the world after the Taliban helped al-Qaeda carry out the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the U.S. Two decades later, the Taliban is prepared to revoke its terrorist policies and has even expressed hope for cooperation with the U.S. The Taliban views Iran's ayatollah regime as a bitter and dangerous enemy, both from an ideological and religious standpoint. Two years ago, Turkey, Iran and Russia reached an understanding whereby northern Syria would be a safe zone barring entry to Bashar Assad's army. But recently, Assad and his allies, undoubtedly with a push from Moscow, attacked the rebels in the north, killing dozens of Turkish soldiers in the process. This time, Erdogan ordered his army to advance deeper into Syrian territory, exposing the fact that Assad's forces are exhausted and ineffective, and therefore completely dependent on Iranian help. The writer is a lecturer in the Middle East History Department at Tel Aviv University.
2020-03-13 00:00:00
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