It is a moment of truth for Tehran. There is no more time for buying time, nor much opportunity for changing the situation on the ground. The United States is leading a war on the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, a war Iran has been fighting along with its allies in both countries for years now. Here enemies of enemies aren’t friends, nor are friends of enemies, enemies. It is a complex situation where Tehran and the United States find themselves side by side shooting at the same target, but still not allies.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian told Al-Monitor that his country was the first to help Iraq in its war on terror. He added, “What we care about is fighting the real war on terror in the region and around the world; we will continue to help Syria and Iraq in their war, and we aren’t interested in taking part in any show-off conferences that claim to combat terrorism.”
Another senior Iranian official who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said, “The US is still coming up with a strategy for fighting [IS], and up to this moment still isn't sure whether it needs to have troops on the ground or not.” He added, “They [US officials] want to build an Iraqi army, train Syrian fighters and decide on whether they are going to strike inside Syria or not; meanwhile, Iran is fighting the war helping its allies, clear on the general strategy, and we know we’ll win in the end.”
According to the official who spoke to Al-Monitor on the phone, Iran sees IS as being a catastrophic danger to the region. “Every day this extremist group is getting stronger. Following the American lead could mean that when the US is ready to start the fight, [IS] could have enough power to impose conditions on its foes; then it might negotiate and get what it wants.” The official added, “Iran doesn’t trust the US, this is something the leader said before, and today all our commanders agree on: The US can’t be an ally of Iran, and Iran can’t fight under the command of the US — we will continue to fight our war our way.”
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