The photo of the week, or possibly even of the year, came out of Tehran last Tuesday, featuring 10 American sailors on their knees with their hands over their heads after being captured by the Revolutionary Guards in Iran's territorial water. Never has one image captured so well the prevailing trend of U.S. capitulation to Iran. Many in the Middle East believe the current U.S. administration is willing hand the "keys" to the region over to Iran. The way the Iranians treated the American soldiers, who lost their way due to a technical malfunction, was one thing. But what intensified the situation was of course Tehran's decision to publicize the humiliating photo in an effort to send a clear message to the Americans, and essentially to the entire world, that Iran is the "boss" in the region. But the U.S. is in denial, or, alternately, it has accepted Iran's growing power as a fait accompli. Washington now views Tehran as a necessary partner in the resolution of many regional problems, chiefly the future of Syria and Iraq and the battle against the Islamic State group. After all, U.S. President Barack Obama regards the nuclear agreement with Iran as the foreign policy crown jewel of his presidency and he is determined not to let anyone spoil his party. The problem is that U.S. eagerness to reconcile with Tehran has been hitting a wall of resistance and hostility, which the conservative party in Tehran, headed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard, insists on maintaining. That is why Washington has invited Iran to participate for the first time in international talks over Syria's future, and in return, Iran has deployed thousands of troops to aid embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Americans have now officially lifted the sanctions on Iran, and in return Iran conducted a ballistic missile test. Weakness does not pacify a bully, quite the opposite; it drives the bully to go even further to get what he wants. The reason for this Iranian behavior is rooted in internal Iranian politics: The struggle between the conservative camp in Tehran and the reform camp, headed by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. This struggle is expected to come to a head in about a month when elections are held for Majlis (the Iranian parliament). The problem is that in the meantime, it is Washington's allies in the region that are paying the price for this internal Iranian struggle. Still, there are those who are determined to settle the score with Iran. Indeed, the headlines this week have been dominated by news of plummeting oil prices, reaching an unprecedented low of less than $30 per barrel. The main culprit behind the plummeting prices is Saudi Arabia, which has turned oil prices into an important weapon in its current conflict with Iran. After all, for years it was oil revenues that fueled Iran's expansion across the region into Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. It was oil revenues that funded Iranian aggression and allowed Iran to advance its nuclear aspirations. Now, the revenues have stopped flowing in, deeply impacting Iran's ability to impose its control over the region. Seemingly, the victory belongs to the Iranians, however the bottom line could be decided by the Saudis, if they continue to maintain the same conviction they have demonstrated toward Iran in recent weeks. In any event, Washington has no choice but to watch from the sidelines until it comes to its senses and reassumes its duties as a global superpower, as its friends and allies expect.
