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Israel concerned about US-Iranian cooperation in Iraq

June 17, 2014 at 2:14 pm

Israel yesterday expressed its concerns about the prospective cooperation between its ally, the US, and its deadliest foe, Iran, to face the Sunni rebels in Iraq.

Washington, the West, several Arab states and Tehran accuse ISIS of taking control of several cities in the north of the country. Sunni Iraqis insist it is a revolt against the Iraqi PM, who is a US and Iranian ally, and ISIS is only a small group within this action.

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz told Reuters that the US and other major powers have pledged that any cooperation on the Iraqi issue would not affect their plan to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme.

On Sunday, the US said it was considering talks with Iran about the Iraqi crisis. Iran expressed its readiness to work with the US to help curb what they call ISIS’ advance in Iraq.

Steinitz described the events in Iraq as “ungodly horror” and said Iran should not be helped to extend its power in Iraq since that would give it the chance to extend its arc of control through Syria and Lebanon.

“And we would especially not want for a situation to be created where, because both the United States and Iran support the government of [Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri] Al-Maliki, it softens the American positions on the issue which is most critical for the peace of the world, which is the Iranian nuclear issue,” Steinitz said.

According to Reuters, Israel was concerned about Iran’s nuclear talks with the P5+1 even before the Iraq crisis. Israel fears Tehran will be able to shake off international sanctions built up over the last decade.

Speaking with cautious optimism, Steinitz said that the nuclear negotiations would be unaffected by any international involvement in Iraq.

“We are troubled, but we have been made to understand by everyone, the Americans, the British, the French and the Germans, that a total separation will be enforced,” he said.

Steinitz gave an example about such separation the Russian participation alongside Western powers in the Iranian nuclear talks despite their difference over the Ukrainian issue.

An Israeli security official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that deeper Iranian commitments in Iraq could make Tehran more accommodating in the nuclear talks as it might feel over-extended and reluctant to spark further crises.

“They would have to redirect resources, perhaps even pull their forces out of Syria to send to Iraq instead,” the second Israeli official said. “Let them sink into that new quagmire.”

Steinitz rejected this view, however, saying: “I would never look to solve one travesty with another travesty.”