Ex-British envoy to US: West should ally with Iran

In an opinion piece published in the UK’s Telegraph on Friday, a former British Ambassador to the US argued that the West must ally itself with Iran if it wishes to defeat Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East.

Sir Christopher Meyer argued that with increasing turmoil in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Iraq, and the rise of Islamic State as a serious foe, Western nations should do two things: completely halt their military involvement in the region and ally themselves with regional power Iran, in place of traditional ally Saudi Arabia.

Meyer stated that “the prolonged presence of Western militaries in Islamic societies serves only to swell the ranks of Muslims worldwide, who are violently hostile to our values and way of life.” He wrote that the geopolitical interests and rivalries in the region are so complex, that Britain and its allies would be best served letting “the region sort out its own problems” rather than make things worse by trying to help.

He claimed that Syrian leader Bashar Assad cannot be toppled so long as he enjoys the support of the Iranian regime (as well as Russia) and thus cited Tehran as key to ending the bloody civil war there. He added that Iran has been similarly instrumental in aiding Iraqi troops in their fight against Islamic State.

“Whether we like it or not, we are in de facto alliance against (Islamic Stte) with Assad of Syria and with Iran, the implacable foe of our long-standing ally, Sunni Saudi Arabia,” Meyer wrote.

With Iran a vital player in the region’s struggles and, in Meyer’s eyes, in any possible solutions, he proposed an alternative to the West’s entanglement in the convoluted web of Sunni-Shia conflicts: Pull out, and let Iran take care of it.

“If (IS) is able to expand further in the Middle East, won’t this unavoidably lead to the conclusion that our strategic ally in the region for the 21st century must be Iran?” he asked.

Meyer was the UK’s ambassador to the US between 1997-2003.