John Kerry’s approach towards Syria and Iran

The appointments by President Barack Obama show that the foreign policy will be one of his main priorities during his second term in order to preserve the U.S. interests, in an attempt to pay fewer costs than before in a world that is witnessing an accelerating changing steps and an increasing pace of seriousness. The appointment of “Dennis McDonough”, in a senior position within the White House staff Department, is but the best evidence on changing the foreign policy of the U.S. administration. 

McDonough has contributed to developing plans to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, and his experience means pushing the issues of the foreign policy towards the table of the President. Additionally, what strengthens this fact is the survival of “Tom Donilon”, as a national security adviser, and he is also the other influential personal that plays a major role in the Foreign policy. 

Here comes John Kerry as the U.S. State Department; he was loyal to Obama throughout his first term and has helped him to defuse many international crises. 

Hence, what are Kerry’s tendencies after he took office regarding Syria and Iran? 
1-    President Obama and every one of us know that the American foreign policy is not only known for the drones and the military deployments.

2-    Kerry is keen to strengthen international developmental programs rather than approaching the intelligence and the military. 

3-    The U.S. administration’s policy does not tend to contain but to prevent. 

4-    Kerry described what is happening in the Middle East as an Arab awakening, saying that the youth of the Tahrir Square, the reason why Egypt achieved its revolution, acts as the thirst of generations for the opportunities and rights to participate in government and is not a religious movement. 

5-    The U.S. administration will continue the path to search for the countries consensus to isolate Tehran more and more, but he along with President Obama prefer the peaceful solution more than this challenge and will spare no effort to make diplomacy succeed. This means ruling the military option out to confront Tehran over its nuclear program. He also talked about the willingness of the administration to engage in bilateral efforts with Tehran, pointing out in this context that the Iranians need to understand that there is no other agenda if their nuclear program was peaceful. 

6-    Kerry understands the sensitivity of the Middle East and its history, and therefore any U.S. or Western concept can never be applied in this region. 

7-    Kerry focused on the need to change the accounts of the Syrian President at the moment, for the Syrian President does not believe that he is or might be losing, and the opposition believes it is winning. Hence, according to him, this formula does not allow reaching to some kind of settlement for a transitional period. Kerry mentioned that there were signs that the Russians want Assad to leave, but they have a different consideration regarding the date and time of that. However, the Republican Senator John McCain criticized Kerry’s talk about Russia, adding that Moscow is still arming the Syrian regime and providing it with the political support in the international forums and in the Security Council. Kerry’s replied to this by saying that he just has a hope to turn the Russian position to the other side, since this would be the easiest way to change the Assad’s accounts. 

8-    Kerry expressed his concern over the fact that the countries might face a complete breakdown and that no one has a clear description of how to bring the pieces back again, as he said that he is worried about the risk of the spread of the chemical weapons. 

We say finally that when Kerry was within the ranks of the Congress, he hinted that he has no objection to the idea of arming the Syrian opposition, but now his position is in harmony with the positions of the administration i.e. to stress the departure of the Syrian President. He considered that any additional weapons to this conflict will lead but only to the complexity of the situation on the ground. Kerry will probably be in tune with Obama’s narrow circle in meditating with the Syrian and Iranian files.