Skip to main content

Iran unlikely to sit idle as US targets Hezbollah, PMU

Tehran views US actions against Iran's friends in the region as nothing short of a plot to sabotage the republic's strength and restrict its area of influence.

Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are seen in Zumar, Nineveh province, Iraq October 18, 2017. REUTERS/Ari Jalal - RC1E698CF530
Shiite Popular Mobilization Units are seen in Zumar, Ninevah province, Iraq, Oct. 18, 2017. — REUTERS/Ari Jalal

TEHRAN, Iran — The diplomacy of smiles between the United States and Iran has come to an end. Not even regular old diplomacy seems to be an option anymore, with US President Donald Trump clearly stressing the importance of countering what he calls the Iranian regime's "destabilizing activity and support for terrorist proxies in the region.”

Trump took things back to square one, undoing the path that was paved during two years of marathon negotiations between diplomats and experts from Iran, the United States and the other world powers that negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in different venues around the world. The nuclear deal, struck in July 2015, was seen as a required step before there could be any cooperation between Tehran and Washington on regional crises, mainly Syria and Iraq.

Related Topics

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in