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.”