According to Ira Stoll in today’s New York Sun, the Iranian government has reacted to the fall of Iraq with the following program:
Budgeting several billion dollars to build a nuclear bomb by the time of the next American presidential inauguration, in January 2005. …Moving aggressively to expand Iranian influence in Syria by building mosques in Damascus and by providing free and low-cost oil to the Syrians. …Undermining America in Iraq by working with Saudi Arabia, Syrians, and loyalists to Saddam Hussein.
In addition,
“They were very anxious to get face-to-face time with American officials,” [Executive Director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, Henry] Sokolski said, describing the Iranians as “pleading” for him to go to New York to meet with officials at the Iranian mission to the United Nations. He declined. “I think they want to make folks believe they are meeting with Americans all the time, that the dissidents should give up…”