The Barack Obama administration’s apparent decision to cut Iran out of a multilateral group trying to resolve the Syria crisis may backfire, encouraging Tehran to sabotage any post-Assad government and also undermining nuclear talks with Iran.
The US gave its most explicit rejection of Iranian participation Tuesday, June 12 when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she turned down the suggestion of UN envoy (and former UN Secretary-General) Kofi Annan that Iran be part of a contact group including Syria’s neighbors and the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
“The red line for us was the inclusion of Iran,” Clinton told an audience at the Brookings Institution. “We thought that would be a grave error since we know that Iran is not only supporting the Assad regime, but actively mentoring, leading, encouraging not merely the regular army, but the militias that are springing up, engaging in sectarian conflict.”
At the same time, the US is working overtime to woo Russia to support a transition to President Bashar al-Assad. Clinton has spoken multiple times to her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, about a Yemen-like solution for Syria and she sent a special envoy, Fred Hof, to Moscow last week. Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns is due to meet with senior Russian officials while in Afghanistan today (June 13).
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
