Yemen gives Iran another triumph
Regime troubling U. S. emerges as ‘ central power’ in Mideast
WASHINGTON The violence that drove U. S. advisers from Yemen, once a key U. S. counterterrorism partner, is the latest in a string of regional victories for Iran.
Rebels backed by Iran expanded their grip over portions of Yemen and advanced south, where U. S.backed President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi recently fled and established his base.
In Iraq, militias backed by neighboring Iran take a leading role in fighting Islamic State militants on the ground. And in Syria, embattled President Bashar Assad has consolidated his control with the help of Iran during the four- year civil war.
Iran “will emerge, whether we like it or not, as the central power in their sphere,” said Aaron David Miller, an analyst at the Wilson Center and former State Department official.
The United States lacks a coherent
“The Iraqis will tell you that the Iranians are doing the things they would like America to do.” Jack Keane, a retired Army general
strategy for combating Iran’s growing influence in the region.
“We’re dealing with each problem as a vexing one- off issue,” said James Mattis, a retired Marine general who was head of the U. S. Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East. “We need a new Mideast security architecture to deal with what’s happening.”
Over the weekend, U. S. special operations forces advising the Yemen military were evacuated as Houthi rebels seized that country’s third- largest city, Taiz.
The Houthi overthrow of the Hadi government last month is “a stunning setback for U. S. policy,” said Jack Keane, a retired Army general.
The Hadi government said Iran has provided support to the Houthi insurgents. The Houthis, a Shiite group, deny that.
In Syria, Tehran supports Assad with weapons and equipment and has dispatched Hezbollah fighters to attack the regime’s opponents.
U. S. airstrikes on Islamic State militants in Syria have assisted Assad by weakening one of his top opponents. “His throne is a lot firmer today than it was a year ago,” said Jonah Blank, an analyst at RAND.
In Iraq, Iranian- backed militias have emerged in recent weeks as a leading force against the Islamic State, the Sunni extremists who have seized large swaths of Iraq and Syria.
Iran’s Shiite militias play amajor role in Tikrit, the first major ground offensive in Iraq against the militants.
The United States has dispatched hundreds of trainers and advisers to Iraq, but they are not accompanying Iraqi forces in combat operations. By contrast, the advisers from Iran’s elite Quds force are alongside Shiite militias in Iraq and provide artillery and rocket support.
“The Iraqis will tell you that the Iranians are doing the things they would like America to do,” Keane said. “The Iranians have boots on the ground.”
Some analysts say Iran and the United States share an interest in combating Sunni extremist groups, such as al- Qaeda and the Islamic State, which can work to the advantage of both countries. “From the U. S. perspective, Iran’s role in the region is actually a good thing,” Blank said.