As the Obama administration goes about forging a coalition of nations willing to combat the brutality and barbarism of the Islamic State (previously known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-ISIS, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-ISIL), America and the West cannot lose sight of the far more dangerous foe -- the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran's reluctance to agree to nuclear limitations in the past has made U.S. and world leaders cautious about whether Iran will uphold its end in any agreement. Indeed, the Senate is preparing a measure to impose new sanctions on Iran if it does not curtail its nuclear program. The current negotiations with Iran are going nowhere.

The Times of Israel reported (September 17, 2014) that “The United States and its allies suspect Iran wants to acquire nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its program is purely peaceful and designed for civilian use only. Late last year, the two sides agreed to an outline deal which offered an easing of some sanctions against Iran in exchange for its agreement to curb some nuclear activities. The accord went into effect in January but while they missed a July 20 deadline despite intense negotiations, all parties agreed to extend the agreement to November 24 (2014) in the hope of getting a final settlement.  The main sticking point remains Western concern over Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium, a process that can make fuel for peaceful nuclear uses but also the core of an atomic bomb.”

Islamic State barbarity is indeed repulsive, and its ideology endangers non-Muslim minorities as well as Muslims who IS fanatics deem “errant Muslims.” But it is not at this juncture an overwhelming threat to the U.S. The Islamic State, moreover, is not a new phenomenon on the Iraqi playing fields. It is an outgrowth of al-Qaeda in Iraq. The U.S. forces in Iraq, with cooperation of Sunni tribal leaders in Iraq were able to suppress and defeat it. The complete and hasty withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq under the Obama administration contributed to the growth of ISIS. The failure of Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to bring Sunnis into his government, alienated the Sunni tribal leaders and enabled ISIS to enlist them, albeit reluctantly. Iran’s control over al-Maliki and his Shiite-led government of Iraq seemed to farther frustrate the Sunni Arabs in Iraq.  

The Islamic States’ recent military victories in Iraq, and the fact that it attracts hundreds and perhaps thousands of western Muslims who might return home and initiate terror in their home countries, is a valid concern. Additionally, IS expansion and incitement of Sunni Muslims threatens U.S. allies such as Jordan and the Gulf States, as well as the stability of Lebanon. Nevertheless, IS does not pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland.

Compared to Iran, the Islamic State is a minor player. It has no more than 30,000 combatants, no navy, and a few captured aircraft. Yet it has become, in the eyes of the Obama administration, the current greatest threat to U.S. interests. Iran, on the other hand, has active frontline personnel numbering 545,000, and active reserve personnel of 1,800,000, 2,409 tanks, 481 combat aircraft, and a navy with 395 vessels including 31 submarines that can reach the U.S. and potentially carry sea-to-land missiles with a nuclear payload. Iran is also developing long-range missiles with the aim of reaching the full distance to America. 

According to Israel’s Channel Two-TV as reported by Algemeiner (June 9, 2014), Iranian Revolutionary Guard adviser to Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Majatba Dhualnuri said, “In the event of a mistake on the part of the United States, their bases in Bahrain and Diego Garcia will not be safe from Iranian missiles.” Iran has ballistic missiles with a range of 5,000 KM, able to strike targets twice as far as previously thought.

Last but not least, Iran is also the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. The main beneficiary of that support is Hizb’allah, which until IS metastasized in Syria and Iraq, was the world’s most powerful terrorist group, and to a large extent still is.

Iran’s quest for regional hegemony has changed the attitude of the Saudis toward Israel. Recognizing that Iran is a common enemy, the Saudis have embraced Israel and hoped that Israel would persuade Washington to stop the Iranian nuclear program, or alternatively, unilaterally attack Iran. Both Israeli premiers and U.S. presidents have declared publicly that they will not tolerate a nuclear Iran.

President Obama, answering questions at the Brookings Institution Saban Center following the interim agreement between the P5+1 and Iran said, “We can envision an end game state that gives us an assurance that even if they (Iran) have some modest enrichment capability, it is so constrained and inspections are so intrusive that they (Iran), as a practical matter, do not have breakout capacity. Theoretically they might still have some breakout capacity. But frankly, they will have some because, as I said, the technology here is available to any good physics student.” 

Assuming an agreement with Iran on the nuclear program is achieved, although by most accounts it is still doubtful, the best one could hope for from the deal between Iran and the P5+1 (U.S., Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany) is a delay in the Iranian regime reaching its nuclear goal. The U.S. and its allies hope that delaying the inevitable will provide the Iranian people an opportunity to remove the hated regime. The current trend however, is to lift the sanctions against Iran, which will boost its economy and make the regime even stronger. This will increase the Islamic Republic’s capability to intimidate the region and achieve the objective of being the regional hegemon. 

Attending a Rosh Hashanah reception at a suburban Maryland home, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer set the record straight about who is the most dangerous to U.S. (and Israeli) interests. He said, “Now I know there is still some absurd talk in certain quarters about Iran being a partner in solving problems in the Middle East. They (Iran) are not a partner, they were not a partner, they (Iran) will never be a partner. Iran as a nuclear power is a thousand times more dangerous than ISIS.”

While the Islamic State is a serious and cruel current menace in the Middle East region, Iran is a long-term threat to the stability of the world order.