Trita Parsi

Told @BBCWorld that a key sign that the US and Iran are close to a deal is that the Trump admin has spent the last 48h defending a potential deal. They wouldn't be spending any political capital defending a yet-to-be-secured deal if they didn't believe they were close.

On @Bannons_WarRoom, I argued that on several variables, Trump can get a stronger Iran deal than Obama's. Particularly if he lifts primary sanctions and opens the Iranian market to American companies. For average Americans, this will matter more than nuclear details.

Said on @Bannons_WarRoom that Lindsey Graham is pushing Trump to make a precondition of the Iran deal that other regional countries have to normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. That is a poison pill. Graham is trying to sabotage Trump's Iran deal.

As the internet is reopened in Iran, more images are coming out of what actually happened during the war. The internet blockage also meant that most Iranians did not see how supporters of Reza Pahlavi were dancing and cheering the war from the safety of Western capitals...

Israeli minister Ben Gvir says Trump's deal with Iran is "bad for Israel" and that Israel will not "allow" it. Let that sink in. And remember this clip next time someone claims that a factual conversation about the Israeli government's influence in DC is off-limits...

Tone always matters in diplomacy, particularly in sensitive phases such as the one the US & Iran find themselves in right now. Trump is usually his worst enemy when it comes to tone, but some of his latest tweets have shown unusual sensitivity to the need for a more respectful tone.

Both Trump and Iran need a deal. Even short of war, the ceasefire is putting too much pressure on the US economy and the GOP's political prospects. And Iran needs to translate the outcome of the war into much-needed sanctions relief. Both will lose if a deal is missed.

Told @cnn that Trump tying the Iran deal with regional accession to the Abraham Accords will ensure that the war continues. But Trump may be raising the Accords to bolster his pro-Israeli credentials and deflect from inevitable criticism that his deal is opposed by Israel.

WOW! @QuincyInst Board member and NRF Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer ABSOLUTELY DESTROY warmongers Mike Pompeo and Victoria Nuland at the @munkdebate. (Don't take it from me, they won the vote 56-44)

The regional role in the US-Iran deal is astounding. 1) Many regional states actively helped reach a resolution. 2) Their support protects Trump from domestic criticisms and takes attention away from Israel's opposition. 3) The regional anchoring ensures greater durability.

.@AJEnglish asked me if Trump could have achieved the same outcome without war. What the war did, in my view, was that the US came to realize that war does not work and, as a result, the US needed a deal that ensured long-term peace. That's the impact of having tried war.

First, Israel bombed a father and his daughter. Then, when the medical team arrived, they bombed again. A double tap. A war crime. Designed to maximize civilian casualties. That is, terrorism.

WOW! Tucker on Israeli TV: “As an Israeli, you should pause before using the phrase ‘terror regime.’ Since you live in a country that murdered thousands of children in Gaza." The anchor accuses Tucker of equating Israel - "a country that abides by international law" - with Iran.

From Netanyahu's perspective, a renewed US-Iran war is ideal. Particularly if the alternative is - in the midst of Israel's upcoming elections - a US-Iran deal that entails sanctions relief for Tehran.

Told @AJEnglish that both Iran and the US believe that another round of fighting will give them an edge in subsequent talks. But when both sides believe this, the gravitational pull toward conflict becomes dangerously strong — however irrational it may be.

Tara moved to Israel five years ago from Texas. Her message to the Palestinians living in Palestine is simple: 'Leave or we will kill you!' Perhaps this conflict isn't that complicated after all...

BREAKING: Pope Leo XIV deems the Iran War unjust. Says it isn't “solving anything,” only spreading more hate. He then goes on to urge Americans to call Congress and press lawmakers to end the war and work for peace.

In this extremely sensitive stage of the talks, the last thing needed - beyond the exchange of fire - is rhetoric that pours more fuel on the fire. During the campaign, Trump showed great message discipline on Iran; that's what he needs to do now, instead of the below:

To say that Trump underestimated Iran is an understatement. The Israelis sold him - and he ended up believing - a narrative that portrayed Iran as so weak that the war would be won within 4 days. 60 plus days later, Trump is still stuck in the mess Israel sold him.

Both Trump and Iran need a deal. Iran is in dire need of sanctions relief, and it can only lock in its gains in the war through a deal. Trump desperately needs to end the war before it does more damage to his presidency and to the GOP.

Told @BBCWorld that progress appears to have been made in the talks, but it is still subject to Trump's self-sabotage. But one factor may help him muster much-needed discipline: It'll be embarrassing for him to show up in Beijing next week without having stabilized the situation

Not sure why these networks invite me to do all these interviews on Trump and Iran, they should bring this guy on, he nails it in less than 45 sec :)

Whatever was left of the "West's" moral standing and credibility was destroyed here, in Gaza. Gaza will be rebuilt, but it will take a Herculean effort to rebuild the standing of the West.

Tehran has been under sanctions for 47 years. None of those sanctions has proven to be the silver bullet that would bring Iran to its knees. The only thing that has worked is the same disciplined, patient, and constructive diplomacy that delivered the JCPOA.

Iranians have suffered tremendously from this war, but also from a ceasefire that keeps the risk of war alive. Tehran signals readiness for war, though it doesn't seek it, and still believes it has escalation dominance. If war erupts, Iran will escalate horizontally & particularly target the UAE.

Told @BeckyCNN that Trump's escalation appears driven by frustration that his blockade has failed, but if he truly brings US naval ships into the Persian Gulf, he will give Iran more targets and risk US casualties in a manner that he had managed to avoid during the war itself.

While the US and Iran can hold out for weeks, perhaps months, other countries are paying an even greater price for the blockade and the deadlock. Kuwait has not exported a drop of oil in 30 days. Many Asian countries are suffering from acute fuel shortages.

Trump's blockade has already proven itself to be too expensive for both Iran and the US. But Iran has been under various forms of sanctions for 47 years. None of them has forced Iran to capitulate, and they have found ways to circumvent all of them.

Trump had time on his side during the ceasefire - until he imposed the blockade per the recommendation of FDD, Israel, and Lindsey Graham. Though the blockade is hurting Iran, it has ended up hurting Trump more, with oil prices now exceeding where they were even during the war itself.

Told @AJE that the US's strategic defeat against Iran also raises questions about the sustainability of American primacy, not just in the Middle East, but globally. Iran has done to the US what Ukraine did to Russia.

Told @LyndaKinkade that Iran's goal appears to be to secure a complete rather than partial end to the conflict with the US. Trump is the right president to strike such a grand bargain, but he keeps undermining his own diplomacy with endless tactical errors.

Told @cnn that Iran wasn't pursuing a nuclear weapon according to US intelligence services before the war, but the war may dramatically incentivize them to go in that direction if a deal is not reached.

If you watch these militant Pahlavi supporters, marching as an army in a manner reminiscent of Hitler's brown shirts, and you have the audacity to doubt their ironclad commitment to democracy and freedom, you must be a supporter of the Islamic Republic. Clearly. (sarcasm)

I was asked by @NewsNation about Merz's comments, and I told them that the Chancellor may have said it, but most world leaders think it. Because Trump didn't have a plan B, the war has created a mess, and other countries are suffering economically far more than the US is.

The list of losers of this illegal war of choice is plenty, the winners are few. Even if Iran considers itself a winner - and to some extent that is true - it means very little unless it is translated into a new order with sanctions relief. The Iranians have failed to achieve that yet.

The idea that TTrump'sump's blockade is needed to get Iran to the table is bizarre - the blockade pushed Iran away from the table.

Told @BeckyCNN that I am baffled by the narrative that fractures within the Iranian leadership are the obstacle to a deal, rather than Trump's erratic behavior, change of goal posts, and maximalist demands...

Belgium announces that it will request at least a partial suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement. Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia have already done so. The fact that this hasn't been done yet is a point of outrage and shame.

Told @NewsNation that Trump always uses social media to mock his counterparts, as an effort to create the optics of dominance. But it's one thing to do trash talk in a negotiation, completely different when the US is in an actual war and diplomacy is needed to end that war...

LOL! This woman is a genius! In the parody of democracy that Germany has become, you get arrested if you say "From the River to the Sea." So this pro-Palestine protester asks if it is ok to say "From the River to the Beach" 😂😂😂😂 This is a scene straight out of Kafka...

Beyond shameful! Next time the German government lectures ANYONE about human rights, remember that in Germany, you get arrested if you peacefully hold up pictures of starving Palestinian children. This video is from Berlin.

Told @cnn that Trump's focus on appearing as the winner is starting to become a threat to the negotiations. Instead of de-escalating the situation, Trump has not been able to resist mocking Iran and portraying Iranian restraint as a sign of weakness. This is self-sabotage.

This is the West Bank. An Israeli soldier assaults a Palestinian child near Ramallah. The child looks no older than 6. If any other country's soldiers did this to a child, Washington would call for military intervention. But because it is Israel, US taxpayers finance this.

Stunning lyrics by Siba Alkhiami, a German-based artist, against Israel's repression of Palestinians.

WOW! CNN announces that there is no longer a divide within the Democratic party on Israel - the party base (not its leadership) is overwhelmingly opposed to Israel! No age divide or divide between Liberals and non-Liberals. A majority of all demographics oppose Israel.

Young Palestinian children are prevented from going to school after Israeli settlers - with the tacit approval of the Israeli state - blocked their path with a barbed-wire fence. Instead, they are forced to sit in the boiling heat to continue their education.

Stunning! It was achieved through the wars Israel pushed the US into, the genocide it committed, and the manner in which criticism of Israel has been punished. It's backfiring MASSIVELY. Among men under 50, Israel's favourability has tanked from -3 in 2022 to -47 in 2026!

I discuss on @Bannons_WarRoom why the whole idea of a naval blockade won't go anywhere. Trump has no escalatory paths out of this futile war; the sooner he recognizes that and adopts realistic negotiation positions, the better off the US will be.

If you want escalation, surrender is what you should be looking for. That's why pro-Israeli voices are pushing for outlandish demands - because they know it will beget escalation and more war.

Told @Bannons_WarRoom that if the US position in Islamabad truly was zero enrichment, we should not be surprised that the talks failed; we should be surprised that that was the US strategy. It raises questions about the sincerity of the talks.

I explained on @cnn that Lebanon may be the real sticking point, since Iran demands Israel end the bombardment of that country. “For the Iranians, this is a test to see whether the United States is capable of controlling and reining in Israel.”

It would be bizarre if the US went to Islamabad insisting on zero enrichment, knowing Tehran would never accept it. Indeed, if the nuclear issue were truly the focus, it could never be agreed upon in a single round of talks, given its technical complexities.

Told @BeckyCNN that we are only 6 days into the 2-week ceasefire, and more rounds may occur since neither side has rejected further talks. And perhaps neither side wanted an agreement right away, since it could give the impression that they gave in too quickly.

This is what Israel does to Beirut and Lebanon during a ceasefire...

Told @aje that the military option with Iran was tested - and it failed. Going forward, the potency of American military threats in US-Iran diplomacy no longer carries much weight. This will fundamentally change the dynamic in US-Iran talks.

Members of the Iranian Jewish community inspect what is left of their synagogue in Tehran after Israel bombed it. On Passover...

Told @aje that the question is if there can be a pathway toward an agreement or if Trump continues to bomb Iran for another 2 weeks and then declares victory and leaves the Straits under Iranian control - since the fate of the Straits impacts Asian powers far more than the US.

Disgraceful! The US/Israel just bombed Sharif University in Tehran. This is not only Iran's best university, but also a top 100 global university in the field of Civil Engineering. It has also been a center of student opposition to the Iranian gov And Trump just bombed it...

Conservative Archbishop Broglio declares that Trump's war of choice with Iran is impermissible under Catholic teaching. It cannot be considered a just war.

This is heartbreaking. In play, children reenact what they see in order to make sense of it and feel a degree of control. In Gaza, little girls play "funeral" with their doll playing the role of a friend who has been killed.

Trump says he'll bomb Iran to the Stone Age and then the next President must bomb again. This is the Israelization of America's war - it's Israel's mowing-the-lawn policy This is precisely why previous Presidents resisted Israel's pressure for war w/ Iran: To avoid endless war

Important: The threat of American military force has lost its potency in the US-Iran equation. This fundamentally changes the dynamics between the US and Iran. The US can no longer approach diplomacy as a matter of dictating terms - it has to be real give and take

Trump cannot escalate his war out of this war because Iran can inflict costly counterescalation. If Iran destroys the regional oil infrastructure, oil prices will shoot through the roof in an enduring way and cause global economic depression. The only way out is de-escalatory.

Trump wants European powers to help open the Straits of Hormuz, but why on earth should they? They were not consulted about this war, and they cannot make much of a military difference. As far as they are concerned, this is Trump's debacle.

Told @aje that Trump's declaration that there has already been regime change in Iran is indicative of his desperation to create a narrative of victory to exit this disastrous war.

A resident in Tehran films the US and Israel bomb densely populated neighborhoods in Tehran. These are clearly massive munitions with little to no regard for civilian casualties. Indeed, the entire neighborhood is engulfed in fire and smoke. Just as Israel did in Gaza.

There is still an off-ramp available to Trump, but it will require a compromise, including sanctions relief for Iran. There are ways Trump can do this that will serve US interest. But if he goes in with ground troops, the opportunity will likely be lost.

Just as in Gaza, the US is lifting the constraints on how Israel can use American bombs. As a result, Israel uses 2,000lb bombs to strike densely populated areas in Tehran. So, we are now seeing Gaza-style images of civilians and children being killed en masse in Iran.

Told CNN's @BeckyCNN that starting this war was a dire mistake, and going in with ground troops will be another mistake. Two mistakes do not make a solution.

Trump: "He [Saudi Arabia's MBS] didn't think he'd be kissing my ass... But now he has to be nice to me." This is the choice the GCC will face post-war. If it moves toward deeper dependence on the US to balance Iran, they'll become spineless vassals similar to Europe, who have to "kiss Trump's ass."

This is the moment Israeli forces hand over a small Palestinian child to the Red Cross The Israelis had reportedly tortured him by extinguishing cigarettes (!) on his tiny body in front of his father in order to extract confessions Israel is doing this with American tax money

In times of crises, some nations shrink, others rise. Not through force, but through wisdom Germany & much of Europe are shrinking Qatar is rising Despite being betrayed by the US & struck by Iran, Qatar speaks with wisdom, not anger. It looks to paths for peace, not revenge.

This video was apparently aired on Israeli TV. It shows Axis of Resistance leaders waiting in line to be killed by Israel. At the end, the camera zooms out and we see that the next leader waiting to be killed by Israel is Erdogan. Seems Israel is already planning the next war.

Why sanctions relief is an essential part from Tehran's standpoint that helps ensure that the war truly ends and that Iran doesn't get attacked again in 6-8 months. It's what gives a non-aggression pact a degree of credibility. I suspect this will be non-negotiable for Tehran.

Israel's goal is to destroy Iran's industrial base and set the country back decades to ensure that Tehran cannot pose a challenge to Israel's hegemonic designs for years to come - regardless of the cost to the global economy, regional stability, or Trump's presidency...

Told @esaagar and @krystalball that Tehran may commit the same mistake as the US, overplay their hand, and seek Trump's humiliation. That would be a huge mistake. Both sides need to be able to put forward a credible narrative of victory in order to end this senseless war.

An Iranian woman films her neighborhood being bombed by Israel. As she seeks cover, Israel strikes again, in what appears to be a double-tap strike. The woman films her own death. Some Iranians in the diaspora dance and celebrate this, believing these are democracy bombs...

Joe Kent last night: "We need to let our leaders hear that we do not support this war [with Iran], we do not think there is a vital national security interest, we want to bring our troops home, we do not want 20 plus years of blood letting."

An entirely new security equation will be needed after this war. Won't be easy. GCC dependency on the US is partly why they're in this dire situation. Finding a new relationship with Iran will be difficult, given Iran's attacks. But there is no other way: geography is permanent.

Told @AJEnglish that the Israelis are driving this war right now, and Trump must retake control of it because Israel's interest diverges from that of the US. Israel wants to prolong the war to degrade Iran's industrial base - regardless of the cost to the global economy.