The U.S. and the 'Possibility' of Regional Cooperation with Iran

As the time approaches for a political decision regarding a potential agreement on Iran's nuclear program, speculation continues in Washington about extensive cooperation between the U.S. and Iran. Despite repeated assertions by the President and Secretary of State that no major deals beyond nuclear talks will be made with the Iranian government, some American experts and analysts see an expanding cooperation between the two governments in the Middle East. Among them, Tony Badran, a Middle East expert, and Michael Doran, former advisors on Near Eastern affairs at the State and Defense Departments, emphasize this cooperation, particularly in the context of combating the Islamic State group. Tony Badran, a Lebanese-born expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, stated in an interview with Radio Farda that the United States has a strategic partnership with the Iranian government. When asked about the evidence and justification for this strategic cooperation, he said, 'We are currently witnessing an expansion of these cooperations. In the past, the United States would push back against the Iranian government's expansionism and maintain regional order, but now, due to discussions that seem to go far beyond the nuclear agreement, instead of pushing back against Iranian influence in Syria, or stopping the leadership of the Houthis in Yemen, or preventing its increased dominance over the Iraqi government, the United States views all of this positively and collaborates in parallel on issues like fighting the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, or [this is manifested more broadly]. The U.S. President has stated that he does not believe in the balance of power in the Middle East as previous politicians in this country did, and believes that each player can have a share in the region. This kind of thinking has led to the current discussions being favorable for the Iranian government in the geopolitical arena.' When I ask Mr. Badran for more detailed explanations and tangible evidence, he responds: 'Depending on Iranian actions in the war against the Islamic State or their behavior in Iraq, we often hear, for example, General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, like John Kerry, the Secretary of State, repeatedly stating that the expansion of Iranian influence in the region may be a positive thing. I tell Mr. Badran that the President and Secretary of State have emphasized that no major deal beyond nuclear talks will be made with Iran, and Mr. Kerry emphasized just this Thursday that the U.S. will not turn a blind eye to Iran's destabilizing actions in the region. John Kerry made this statement after meeting with the King of Saudi Arabia and the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states, stating that nuclear negotiations with Iran will not cause the U.S. to overlook Iran's destabilizing actions in areas like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, and especially Yemen. Mr. Badran says: 'That's true! But who is currently the American partner on the battlefield in Iraq? When the United States acknowledges that Qassem Soleimani, the entire power of the Revolutionary Guard, and people like Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis from Hezbollah brigades and Hadi al-Amiri from the Badr Organization are leading the assault in Amerli and other areas under U.S. air cover, what does that mean? U.S. officials say that yes, we are not actually coordinating these operations, but this statement is more of a cover for the realities on the ground. Units fighting in the battlefields are either Iranian or supported by Iran. This is why these days, pictures of Qassem Soleimani are seen everywhere; the Iranian government wants to emphasize that these elements of the Iranian government are present on the scene and want to highlight America's cooperation with them in the war against Sunnis in Iraq.' Tony Badran concludes by referring to the new Saudi king's initiative to end the division among Sunni countries in the region but notes that it is unclear how effective this effort will be.