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Iran has mixed feelings about cooperating with US against IS

Iran wants to eliminate the Islamic State, but worries that working in conjunction with the US to do so could endanger Iran's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters guard their position on the Jalawla front line in the northeastern district of Baquba near the city of Khanaqin August 29, 2014.  REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR44A3W

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.”

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