WASHINGTON — It’s the fog of diplomacy. For years, Iran has been an archenemy of the United States. Now, with alliances blurred in the Mideast, the two countries are talking about how to stop an offensive in Iraq by al-Qaeda-inspired insurgents.
The U.S. for three decades has considered Iran a “state sponsor of terrorism” and has threatened military action if Iran approaches the capacity to develop nuclear weapons.
Despite the differences, the U.S. and Iran are more engaged diplomatically at this moment than in years.
Iran, like the Iraqi government, is Shiite. The insurgent group leading the assault in Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, is Sunni.
There is worry that Iran is trying to leverage its helpfulness on Iraq into better terms in nuclear negotiations.
“I would be skeptical that cooperating with Iran — particularly sharing sensitive intelligence information — would be in our overall interest,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate minority leader.
His concern was highlighted by the comments last week by Mohammad Nahavandian, chief of staff to Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani. The aide suggested that nuclear talks and Iraq’s crisis were connected. The State Department rejected any linkage.
Secretary of State John Kerry, heading to the Mideast this weekend to discuss Iraq’s stability, has fueled talk about U.S.-Iranian cooperation. He said last week that the Obama administration was open to discussions with Tehran if the Iranians help end the violence in Iraq and restore confidence in the Baghdad government.
American and Iranian diplomats talked about Iraq on the sidelines of nuclear negotiations in Vienna in recent days. U.S. officials have rejected military cooperation with Iran, and thus far, legislative aides said, the understanding in Congress is that no intelligence-sharing mechanism with Iran has been finalized.
