( CNN ) -- Washington and Tehran did n't reach the final nuclear deal they were striving for , but the short-term extension of talks announced Monday should help ensure more progress can be made , both in preventing a nuclear-armed Iran and reducing the chances of yet another war in the Middle East . True , significant gaps remain to be bridged between the United States and Iran , and it is clearer than ever that nuclear diplomacy is not a sprint but a marathon . Yet these negotiations are worth persevering with , not just because we are on the brink of a diplomatic solution to the impasse over Iran 's nuclear program , but also because of the potentially far-reaching impact on stabilizing the Middle East . Remember , Iran has enough power in Syria to reduce the bloodletting -- or to intensify the war . The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria 's recruiting base depends in part on atrocities being committed by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to continue to grow . Iran 's unmatched influence over the Assad regime therefore makes it a critical player in negotiating a political solution to Syria 's civil war . As Staffan de Mistura , the U.N. special envoy to Syria , pointed out , `` Iran is an important player and I hope a partner in what should be a political process . '' Both of de Mistura 's predecessors , Lakhdar Brahimi and Kofi Annan , as well as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have also pressed for Iran 's inclusion in negotiations to end the Syrian civil war . The United States has long insisted that Iran must first sign the Geneva Communique before it is permitted a seat at the table in the Syria negotiations . The Geneva Communique is the preliminary accord calling for a `` transitional governing body '' to rule Syria , which was signed at the first international negotiations over Syria 's future . While Tehran has refused this precondition , Iran 's participation in the talks may be the only way to secure even the most limited ceasefire agreement . The transitional governing body called for by the preliminary agreement may never come into being without Iran 's buy-in . Strained relations between the United States and Iran make that buy-in from Tehran nearly impossible . The recent thaw , however , offers hope . The Iran Project recently released a report by more than 30 national security experts concluding that there is `` a strong link between settling the nuclear standoff and America 's ability to play an effective role in a rapidly changing Middle East , and that a nuclear agreement will help unlock the door to new options . '' The bipartisan signatories include two former U.S. ambassadors to Israel , Thomas Pickering and Dan Kurtzer , as well as pre-eminent national security advisers Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski . The nuclear deal could help unlock the door to a political solution to the Syrian civil war , a prospect raised in the report . The authors rightly noted , for example , that `` the inclusion of Iran would be a crucial addition that would increase the possibility of success '' to relieve the immediate humanitarian crisis and develop a long-term political solution for Syria 's future . Indeed , the report went as far as to say that , because Iran is so influential in the Syrian civil war , `` another international meeting would be fruitless '' if talks do n't include Iran as well as the Syrian government . So long as Iran is part of the problem in Syria , engagement with Tehran has to be part of a solution . That is not to say that engaging Tehran to address the Syrian crises will be a quick fix for the brutality of either ISIS or the Syrian regime . Iranian hard-liners in high places are intent on providing a military lifeline to the Assad regime . The power struggle between the hard-line Revolutionary Guards and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani 's more moderate faction is alive and well -- and the hard-liners currently control Iran 's Syria policy . Finally , a nuclear accord may also help tip the balance in internal Iranian politics , with a breakthrough likely to shore up Rouhani 's pro-engagement platform , providing a greater incentive for the supreme leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , to relinquish some control of Iran 's foreign policy to Rouhani 's more moderate camp . Ultimately , there is far more at stake in the ongoing talks with Iran than just the crucial nuclear issues being discussed . ISIS thrives on slaughter in Syria , but a political solution for the war-ravaged country has so far proven elusive . A final accord to rein in Iran 's nuclear program could bring diplomatic options to stabilize the Middle East that were never previously on the table .
Jim McDermott and Kate Gould : Diplomacy in Iran nuclear talks a sprint , not a marathon . Breakthrough could help stabilize the Middle East , authors say . Comment: