The Washington Post wrote in an article entitled “Iran overplays its hand” that with the sudden rise of the crisis in Iraq, a little-noted aspect is that Gen. Qassem Suleimani, the supposed strategic genius of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, has blundered disastrously. By overreaching in Iraq and Syria and triggering a violent reaction, Iran now faces dangerous instability on its border for years to come.
Suleimani’s orchestration of brutal military campaigns in both Syria and Iraq set the stage for the Sunni Arab response turning to extremism. He missed opportunities for moderation while still protecting Iranian interests.