--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the Americans attack Iran for the…" description: "\"If the Americans attack Iran for the first time in 1,400 years, we may unite Sunnis and Shias against us. So I guess there is room for accomplishment e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/michael-scheuer-7471_accomplishment_if-the-americans-attack-iran-for-the-fir_1513717.png" --- # If the Americans attack Iran for the first time in 1,400… ![“If the Americans attack Iran for the first time in 1,400 years, we may unite Sunnis and Shias against us. So I guess there is room for accomplishment everywhere.” quote by Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/michael-scheuer-7471_accomplishment_if-the-americans-attack-iran-for-the-fir_1513717.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/michael-scheuer-7471_accomplishment_if-the-americans-attack-iran-for-the-fir_1513717.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0fc/michael-scheuer-7471_accomplishment_if-the-americans-attack-iran-for-the-fir_1513717.png) > “If the Americans attack Iran for the first time in 1,400 years, we may unite Sunnis and Shias against us. So I guess there is room for accomplishment everywhere.” [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that a U.S. attack on Iran could trigger a rare unity between Sunni and Shia Muslims, suggesting that conflict can create unexpected alliances. **In simple terms:** War may unite former rivals. Key Takeaway Consider unintended consequences of military action. Themes geopolitics conflict religious unity Mood cautious analytical Type political strategic warning When to use this quote - military planning - diplomacy - policy analysis - risk assessment Key Concepts strategic calculus regional dynamics power balance Questions to Reflect On - What alternative strategies could avoid such unity? - How reliable is this prediction? A Different Perspective It assumes all Muslims will react uniformly, ignoring internal divisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accomplishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplishment/) [Americans Attack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-attack-5579179/) [Attack Iran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attack-iran-1394578/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Iran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iran/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Shia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shia/) [Shias Guess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shias-guess-5579180/) [Sunnis Shias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunnis-shias-255920/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Unite Sunnis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unite-sunnis-5579178/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [The U.S. cannot force Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds to make peace or to act for the common good. They have been in conflict for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-defazio/the-u-s-cannot-force-sunnis-shias-and-kurds-to-make-peace-or-to-act/) [Peter DeFazio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-defazio/) > [This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/this-notion-that-the-united-states-is-getting-ready-to-attack-iran-is/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I still think, despite everything, that the US is very unlikely to attack Iran. It could be a huge catastrophe; nobody knows what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-still-think-despite-everything-that-the-us-is-very-unlikely-to/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“A number I'd love to know: the % of those now saying 'we have to vote Obama to stop an attack on Iran' who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-number-i-d-love-to-know-the-of-those-now-saying-we-have-to-vote/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [If the U.S. was to leads a military attack on Iran then we would enter doomsday territory, and the markets would put renewed faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-parry/if-the-u-s-was-to-leads-a-military-attack-on-iran-then-we-would-enter/) [Matthew Parry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-parry/) > [If the United States was mad enough to attack Iran or aggress Venezuela again the price of a barrel of oil could reach $150…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/if-the-united-states-was-mad-enough-to-attack-iran-or-aggress/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [“The achievement of this goal will require a major war, a world war, starting most likely from the impending US-Israel attack on Iran. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-marrs/the-achievement-of-this-goal-will-require-a-major-war-a-world-war/) [Jim Marrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-marrs/) > [If the Zionist commit the folly and attack Iran, they will receive a crushing response from the Islamic Republic's armed forces which will lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsen-rezaee/if-the-zionist-commit-the-folly-and-attack-iran-they-will-receive-a/) [Mohsen Rezaee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsen-rezaee/) > [It is urgent to prevent new U.S. aggression. The time is now for the world to say 'no' to U.S. threats of air attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/it-is-urgent-to-prevent-new-u-s-aggression-the-time-is-now-for-the/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [If there's another 9/11 or a major war in the Middle-East involving a U.S. attack on Iran, I have no doubt that there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/if-there-s-another-9-11-or-a-major-war-in-the-middle-east-involving-a/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [I don't think a wise thing at this moment is for Israel to launch a military attack on Iran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hague/i-don-t-think-a-wise-thing-at-this-moment-is-for-israel-to-launch-a/) [William Hague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hague/) > [ Until quite recently I've been wholly cut off from \[the Shias\] because their tenets forbid them to look upon an unveiled woman and my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-bell/until-quite-recently-i-ve-been-wholly-cut-off-from-the-shias-because/) [Gertrude Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-bell/) > [I was so lucky to be working with amazing actors like Shia and Evan and James Buckley and Mads Mikkelsen and Rupert Grint and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-bond/i-was-so-lucky-to-be-working-with-amazing-actors-like-shia-and-evan/) [Fredrik Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-bond/) > [Unfortunately, the source of all this conflict between the Sunnis and Shia is some major powers that do not want religious unity amongst Muslims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yousef-saanei/unfortunately-the-source-of-all-this-conflict-between-the-sunnis-and/) [Yousef Saanei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yousef-saanei/) ## More by Michael Scheuer > [Iraq, for the first time, gives al Qaeda and its allies contiguous safe-haven territory to train and launch attacks into the Levant. First into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/iraq-for-the-first-time-gives-al-qaeda-and-its-allies-contiguous-safe/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Well, there are certain pockets of improvement. The one that I think is most important is that state and local law enforcement levels have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/well-there-are-certain-pockets-of-improvement-the-one-that-i-think-is/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [You become an anti-Semite. And as powerful as the Israeli lobby is, the Saudi lobby is just as powerful. In fact, the Saudis probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/you-become-an-anti-semite-and-as-powerful-as-the-israeli-lobby-is-the/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Without the connotation good or bad, bin Laden's a great man in the sense that he's influenced the course of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/without-the-connotation-good-or-bad-bin-laden-s-a-great-man-in-the/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I know these days it sounds a little odd, but American governments are very fearful of European reaction. They were afraid we would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-know-these-days-it-sounds-a-little-odd-but-american-governments-are/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The whole importance of Iraq is that we have now created two things. One, Iraq is in the Arab heartland in terms of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-whole-importance-of-iraq-is-that-we-have-now-created-two-things/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Bin Laden does reprehensible activities, and we should surely take care of that by killing him as soon as we can. But he's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/bin-laden-does-reprehensible-activities-and-we-should-surely-take/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The uniqueness of the unit was more or less that it was focused on a single individual. It was really the first time the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-uniqueness-of-the-unit-was-more-or-less-that-it-was-focused-on-a/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I think it's very instructive to look at a man like Ramsey Ahmad Yousef, who almost brought down the World Trade Center in 1993.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-think-it-s-very-instructive-to-look-at-a-man-like-ramsey-ahmad/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [The treatise found that he was perfectly within his rights to use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/the-treatise-found-that-he-was-perfectly-within-his-rights-to-use-them/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Every mujahadeen who comes in from outside the country finds an environment where Arabic is spoken. So in that sense, it's a tremendous come-on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/every-mujahadeen-who-comes-in-from-outside-the-country-finds-an/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [We've gone thorough religious wars and civil wars. America has gone through slavery, we've all gone through two world wars, segregation. Ultimately it's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/we-ve-gone-thorough-religious-wars-and-civil-wars-america-has-gone/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [I don't know what our capabilities are. If I were there, I think it would be nutty to do that. The only country on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/i-don-t-know-what-our-capabilities-are-if-i-were-there-i-think-it/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [One of the reasons they didn't go to Bosnia, bin Laden has explained extensively, was because they couldn't establish a base anywhere. Not in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/one-of-the-reasons-they-didn-t-go-to-bosnia-bin-laden-has-explained/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) > [Where he was, where his cells were, where his logistical channels were, how he communicated. Who his allies were. Who donated to them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scheuer/where-he-was-where-his-cells-were-where-his-logistical-channels-were/) [Michael Scheuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) [Explore all 91 Michael Scheuer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scheuer/) ## More Accomplishment quotes > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? 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The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [Humility is an elusive virtue. The more we pursue it - and the more we seem to acquire it - the more we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-aquilina/humility-is-an-elusive-virtue-the-more-we-pursue-it-and-the-more-we/) [Mike Aquilina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-aquilina/) > [I'm not always right, but I learn from my mistakes and make it a productive experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-kolhoff/i-m-not-always-right-but-i-learn-from-my-mistakes-and-make-it-a/) [Carson Kolhoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-kolhoff/) > [Suffering in life can uncover untold depths of character and unknown strength for service. 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