Obama and his administration have had to contend with quite a deal of disheartening news lately. So it’s only natural that he would be eager to tout any step forward–on the domestic front, or abroad.

Hence, his announcement that 1500 U.S. military “advisors” would soon be arriving in Iraq to help take the fight directly to ISIS.

It could be welcome news to Iraqis, who are recovering from a spate of suicide bombings throughout their country over the weekend by militants. 

The pivotal role in stemming the extremist group’s rampage, however, may ultimately belong not to the U.S.–but to Iran.

In fact, recent key gains by Iraqi military forces were made with the help of Iranian commanders, suggesting that Iran may be quietly leading the charge against ISIS.

Obama himself may have hinted at such in a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei emphasizing their shared interests in the campaign against the Sunni militant army.

But could Tehran end up at the helm of a “coalition of the willing?” It likely wouldn’t sit well with other Arab states in the region, who aren’t exactly warm towards the Shiite state.

But in a struggle against a murderous extremist movement of this scale, might it not matter?