In return for lifting the sanctions, the Western powers are demanding that Iran sharply rein in its nuclear program to allay international concerns about its ambitions as part of a comprehensive deal they are seeking to strike by November.

The Iranian foreign ministry confirmed on Wednesday that discussions were under way with several European governments about the possibility of joint action against IS in Iraq. They also reported tough negotiations have commenced over what role Iran might play in Iraq and what the reward might be for its cooperation.

Such a cooperative effort would have been unthinkable just 6 months ago. In the past, Iran has referred to the U.S. as “The Great Satan,” while the U.S. referred to Iran as part of an “Axis of Evil.”

Iran’s desire to become a nuclear power, the hostage crisis in the early 1980’s, sanctions, differences in ideologies, the control of the regions oil, U.S. support of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war, and anti-Jewish speeches by Iran leadership are only some of the matters that have strained relations between the two countries following new leadership in Iran after the U.S. supported Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown in 1979.

ISIS has put a wrinkle in the definition of “threat” to the region. For the U.S., Iran, and even Syria’s President Bashar Assad.

ISIS is a far greater threat to the U.S. maintaining influence in the Middle East than any government now in place. ISIS members are religious fanatics that kill without discretion. Men, women, and children are tortured, killed, or placed in slavery for simply not being “true” Muslims, or being a member of a different religion.

Given sufficient weaponry and with enough manpower they would kill Iranians if they had the chance, along with the Syrians and Iraqis they have already executed.

Iran is seeing an opportunity in this recent development of an ISIS threat and is positioned to alleviate some past bad blood with the U.S., improve relations, have sanctions lifted, and become the major influence in the region. They are in a position, because of their geographical location and military power, to not only eliminate a threat to their own citizens, but to demonstrate to the West that they aren’t the hard line haters previous leaders made them out to be.

They have found themselves in the catbird seat.

If the U.S. and EU refuse their assistance Iran can just as easily remain behind their borders and take on ISIS, if directly threatened by them. If ISIS should get that far it would mean that the West failed in the current attempt to contain them and couldn’t do much to stop Iran from eliminating ISIS from Iraq and Syria, installing new Iranian friendly governments as they progressed.

If the West does accept Iran’s offer to assist in the current conflict they will have sanctions lifted, strengthen their popularity among its citizens, and be viewed as a needed power in the region. It would likely end the U.S. effort to overthrow the Iranian government by inciting a new revolution.

Some foreign policy experts are calling on the White House to align with Syrian President Bashar Assad to help defeat the Sunni extremists who have seized territory in Syria and killed thousands in the region. But such an alliance would be complicated – Assad is a dictator whose use of chemical weapons against his own people almost pushed the U.S. into direct military conflict with him in recent years.

Any deal with Assad against the Islamic State (ISIS), may have to be done privately because of how he’s treated his own people, according to Steven Walt, professor of international affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

“If ISIS continues to be a problem, or if it gains more ground in Syria, I can imagine the United States quietly reducing its support for Assad’s other rivals so that the regime can focus more on thwarting the jihadi threat,” Walt said. “But Assad’s own conduct and the administration’s past rhetoric would make it very hard to embrace his government publicly, even as the lesser of several evils.”

Assad, though vilified and demonized by the U.S., does run a secular government that allows freedom of religion. Christians and Jews within Syria are allowed to practice their faith. Something not allowed by the Syrian rebels we support. Verified reports of Christians being executed by the rebels that occupy Syrian territory have been noted.

As an example, a priest and another Christian were beheaded before a cheering crowd by Syrian rebels who say they aided and abetted the enemy, President Bashar Assad’s military. An undated video that made the Internet rounds in June of 2013 showed two bound men surrounded by a cheering crowd, as their heads were cut off with a small knife.  The “executioner” in the video then lifted the head for show, and placed it the back of the body. The incident took place in the countryside of Idlib, according to the video.

I won’t post the video here and I hesitate to provide the link to Military.com, but for those who think a beheading is done with one blow using a sword, it is far more gruesome. It made me sick to my stomach and I could only watch one of the two men being killed before leaving the site.

Should your stomach be stronger, the link is HERE, but I warn you, it is GRAPHIC.

It is the recent beheading of journalist James Foley that has sent a message to the world that ISIS must be eliminated. If their intent was to bait the U.S. into action it may well have been successful.

Though our action might entail making allies of former enemies.