When former United States President Barack Obama was in office, he was very reluctant to take decisive action with regards to the conflict in Syria. He was very conscious of doing anything that could adversely affect a potential nuclear deal with Iran. The nuclear deal was Obama’s way of ensuring his legacy, but unfortunately he put too much effort into getting Iran to sign the deal and not enough effort into making it a strong one.

For many years, he appeased the Iranian regime and he even put his own red lines regarding chemical weapons to one side.

Before taking office, Donald Trump heavily criticised Obama and his soft approach to Iran. He also criticised the nuclear deal and vowed to take firm and decisive action again the Iran threat that goes beyond nuclear ambitions.

President Trump has been tough in his rhetoric with regards to Iran and he has taken decisive action. He has also given the other signatories of the deal a deadline of 12th May to fix the major flaws it contains and to address Iran’s ballistic missile program that remains unchecked.

Only a few days ago, the United States led an airstrike along with France and the United Kingdom. It was a precision strike that took great measures to ensure that no Russian assets or forces were hit. It was also carried out with meticulous precision to ensure that no civilians were caught up in the strike.

The three nations warned that they were going to take action following the news of yet another chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians and left hundreds in need of medical attention. They made it clear that such attacks will not be tolerated.

However, the strike also sent a message to Iran. A message that Iran’s belligerence will not be accepted and a message that the “golden years” of Obama are over.

In the United States, there was bipartisan backing in Congress for the strike and it is a warning to Assad and his Iranian cronies that similar attacks in the future will also be dealt with accordingly.

Iran is in a situation where it cannot just abandon the war in Syria. Even regime officials have admitted that without Damascus, the regime will not be able to survive, hence the desperate measures it is taking in Syria.

Syria is Iran’s weak spot and if the international community is serious about removing the threat the regime poses, it is essential to take decisive action in Syria. This should involve the removal of Iran from Syria. Furthermore, Iran relies heavily on a number of proxy group and militias and they too need to be removed from Syria.

Iran is the main source of conflict in the region and is fuelling conflicts. It is also creating misery at home through a campaign of suppression. The people have called for regime change and are looking towards a future where freedom, democracy and human rights will be valued.

Source » ncr-iran