Does Iran control Shiite militias that are attacking US forces in Iraq and Syria? Two leading experts weigh in
The deaths of three US servicemen Sunday in an attack by an Iran-backed Shiite militia at a base wedged between Syria and Jordan has raised the specter of a direct confrontation between the United States and Iran like never before. But are things as black and white as they seem? Does Iran have full control over the Shiite militias that are part of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces created to fight the Islamic State? A US withdrawal from Iraq and Syria would help resuscitate the Islamic State which recently killed hundreds of civilians inside Iran. What is the end game? Two leading experts on the topic, Hamidreza Azizi and Inna Rudolf, weigh in.