A Trump-Tehran deal could reduce the risk of regional war, but Trump might have to lower the bar. By MAX BOOT
Washington Post
December 20, 2024
The fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has dealt a devastating blow to Iran’s strategy of dominating the Middle East via proxies. The Assad regime was not only Iran’s most important ally but also a vital conduit to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy militia. It will be hard to rebuild Hezbollah after the mauling it has received from Israel if Syria doesn’t cooperate — and there is every reason to believe that the Sunni regime taking shape in Damascus will be hostile to Shiite rulers in Tehran. Meanwhile, in Gaza, another major Iranian-supported militia — Hamas — also lies in ruins.
Iran’s attempt to surround Israel with a “ring of fire” appears to be collapsing just as momentous political changes are afoot in both Tehran and Washington. A relatively moderate new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, took power in Iran in July following the death of his hard-line predecessor in a helicopter crash. Pezeshkian’s authority over national security policy is strictly limited — Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, still calls the shots — but his ascendance could indicate a more moderate approach toward the West.
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