US policy on Iran has undermined the war on Sunni terrorism

Analysis suggests that United States foreign policy in the Middle East has been driven by a dual agenda. While the public narrative focused on a global war against Sunni Islamic extremism—targeting groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State—an underlying priority has been countering Iranian influence.

According to the reports, Washington has frequently funded, armed, and protected Sunni jihadist movements that it was officially tasked with fighting. This occurred because these radical Sunni groups targeted Iran and its allies. In instances where the objectives of the war on terrorism conflicted with the strategic goal of containing Iran, the priority was given to undermining Iranian interests, effectively using terrorist elements as tools in a broader geopolitical struggle.