For some US intelligence analysts, Iran’s willingness to allow al-Qaeda on its soil was a puzzle: Why would Shia Iran establish any relations with Sunni al-Qaeda? Iran and al-Qaeda did not have compatible ideological views, but they shared a common enemy: the United States. Iran was likely willing to allow some al-Qaeda leaders on its soil under tight monitoring as a wild card. If the United States attacked Iran, al-Qaeda could be helpful in responding. Once again, under Soleimani’s guidance, Iran had employed an asymmetric approach, choosing to work with an enemy in order to balance the
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