In a blow to the Obama administration’s feckless foreign policy in the Middle East, or a complete lack of one, NATO member Turkey seems set to join the Russia, Iran, Syria axis in the Middle East to support the Assad regime against the opposition and target the Islamic State. The about face by Turkey in light of the recent failed coup attempt is simply stunning.
The Turkish foreign minister recently visited Tehran and the reiterated that Turkey is willing to join with its former adversaries to develop a solution to the Syrian civil war. Russian state news agency Sputnik even predicted that Turkey will join a Russian, Iranian alliance against the Islamic State in theater.
In a related development, Russia announced the deployment of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system at its new Iranian airbase at Hamedan. Russia stated that they system will not be controlled by or provided to Iran but will only be used to protect Russian forces staged in Iran. However, the presence of the system at Hamedan practically prevents Israel from attacking the Iranian nuclear program as it has done in Syria and Iraq.
The United States has abdicated leadership and wasted the blood and treasure spent to control terrorism in the region. The incompetence, or diabolical agenda, of the Obama administration has now come to pass. Iran will be a nuclear power which will threaten the region and beyond, all the while protected by advanced Russian weapon systems. Heck, Turkey may even be forced out of NATO. Quite a nice outcome for the Kremlin.
Iranian and Arab media has gone so far to report that Turkish President Erdogan will make a trip to Tehran to cement the new alliance. If you were writing a novel about a Manchurian Candidate president in the United States, could you come up with a more destructive ending to the story for American foreign policy?
