Many observers suspect that US President Barack Obama will not follow a decisive approach in dealing with the Iranian nuclear ambitions. Not only has he been hesitant in facing Iran on this particular issue, but he has also been so ineffective in his attempt to sway the Iranian to change course.
Unless there is a huge price tag, Tehran is likely to keep on its attempts to weaken the United States in the region. Also, as long as Iranian leaders feel that Obama is toothless in dealing with so many issues in the region particularly with the Syrian regime, they are bound to interpret any diplomatic venture on the part of the administration as a sign of weakness. Therefore, Obama’s “secret letter” — if media reports are to be believed — sent to Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei is a statement about his desperation to get a deal with the Iranians.
Obviously, the alleged letter did not contain any warning tone. Contrary to that, the letter proved to the Iranians that their stubbornness is paying off. Some US lawmakers considered the letter as “outrageous.” Two prominent Senators from the Republican Party, John McCain and Lindsey Graham said, “The administration needs to understand that this Iranian regime cares more about trying to weaken America and push us out of the Middle East than cooperating with us,” they said in a joint statement. “The consequences of this ill-conceived bargain would destroy the Syrians’ last, best chance to live in freedom from the brutal Assad regime.”
After six years in office, Obama is yet to prove that he has a strategy in dealing with the various issues of the Middle East. If anything, regional leaders do not take him seriously due to his hesitancy and lack of leadership. At the heart of his mistakes lies the Syrian issue. He failed to act on time when the Syrian regime was on the brink of collapse. His lack of strategy or lack of commitment to bring about a change in Syria only emboldened other players to fight along Assad. Not surprisingly, Assad regime has survived an inevitable demise.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday that there would be no link between talks on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues in the region. “No conversation, no agreement, no exchange, nothing, has created any kind of deal or agreement with respect to any of the events that are at stake in the Middle East…There is no linkage whatsoever of the nuclear discussions with any other issue, and I want to make that absolutely clear. The nuclear negotiations are on their own,” said Kerry in Beijing.
With Kerry meeting with Iran’s foreign minister in Muscat, Oman on Sunday, ahead of the Nov. 24 deadline for a comprehensive nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers, it is not clear whether there is a utility of doing so. What is there for Kerry to convey to the Iranians that he could not convey during official meetings with the six world powers? For this reason, the Republican-controlled Congress will be skeptical of any deal Obama might reach with the Iranians. It remains to be seen whether Obama could avoid the impression that he is pursuing trade-offs with Iran as part of the nuclear deal at the expense of his allies’ interests.
Clearly, Obama is creating problems even with his Arab allies who have been fighting the Islamic State.
—
Email: [email protected]
