Trita Parsi quotes

As printed Aug 21

“Between surrender or escalation, Iran will almost certainly choose escalation. Even if Trump has gained the economic upper hand, Tehran still believes it holds a military advantage.”

on predicting Iran will escalate rather than surrender despite US pressure

Antiwar.com The US Is Pressuring China to Adopt Economic War Against Iran ›

As printed Aug 3

“These groups were never eliminated, and Hezbollah in particular has bounced back much faster than Israel predicted,”

CNN ›

As printed Aug 2

“Once they were weakened, Iran paid the price by having both the US and Israel attack it.”

on Iran being attacked by the US and Israel after its allied militias were weakened

CNN Iran’s allied militias prove their value in Tehran’s widening war ›

As printed Jul 29

“As Turkey rose in power because of its success in Syria, and Iran appeared to have weakened, the rhetoric in Israel started to turn against Turkey.”

on Israel's rhetoric turning against Turkey as Iran's regional power waned

The American Conservative Israel Runs the Iran Playbook on Turkey ›

As printed Jul 29

“What we are seeing now between Israel and Turkey is reminiscent of Israel's shift on Iran,”

on Israel-Turkey tensions echoing Israel's earlier break with Iran

The American Conservative Israel Runs the Iran Playbook on Turkey ›

As printed Jul 5

“beyond his long-standing desire to use American force to subjugate Iran to Israeli domination and achieve a regional balance favorable to Israel,”

Truthout ›

As printed Jul 5

“now also has stark political and personal reasons to restart the war”

Truthout ›

As printed Jul 4

“Israel is a state that, on paper, is a US partner, but in reality is so extreme in its obsession to undermine US diplomacy that it even tries to assassinate those the US engages with in crucial negotiations.”

on Israel's alleged sabotage of US-Iran peace negotiations

Truthout Israel Reportedly Planned to Assassinate Iranian Negotiators During Peace Talks ›

As printed Jul 4

“I can't recall a government as terrified of peace as the one running Israel”

on Netanyahu's ideological opposition to peace with Iran

Truthout Israel Reportedly Planned to Assassinate Iranian Negotiators During Peace Talks ›

As printed Jul 4

“The [US and Iran’s memorandum of understanding] has come at a steep political cost for Netanyahu,”

on fallout from a US-Iran deal amid Israel's alleged plot against Iranian negotiators

Truthout Israel Reportedly Planned to Assassinate Iranian Negotiators During Peace Talks ›

As printed Jul 2

“Will Israel restart the war with Iran before the October elections? This is the consensus view emerging within Iran’s internal national security debate over the past week,”

News From Antiwar.com Vance Says US Will Use Iran MoU To Replenish Global Oil Supply Then ‘See Where the Hand Is’ ›

As printed Jun 26

“didn’t like that it was called a Trump deal, at the end of the day they did everything that they could”

The American Conservative The Democrats Defy Their Voters to Stoke the Iran War ›

As printed Jun 26

“following Trump's strategy while trying to put a happier face on it: to take Trump's Abraham Accords and add Saudi Arabia to it.”

The American Conservative The Democrats Defy Their Voters to Stoke the Iran War ›

As printed Jun 25

“They’re more angry at the idea that the war was started in the first place than the idea that the United States suffered a strategic defeat,”

on Republican anger over how the Iran war started

NYT > U.S. > Politics The Trump-Led Republican Party Is Softening on Iran ›

As printed Jun 23

“Israel should not undermine the only strong friend they have left,”

on Israel's reliance on the US as its strongest remaining ally

The American Conservative J.D. Vance Infuriates the Neocons ›

As printed Jun 23

“JD Vance is not changing the conversation about Israel in the US. He is changing the entire paradigm: He is reminding the Israelis that they are alone and—though he doesn’t use this word—much disliked internationally”

on J.D. Vance reshaping how Israel's international standing is discussed

The American Conservative J.D. Vance Infuriates the Neocons ›

As printed Jun 21

“a test of America’s willingness—and ability—to restrain its closest regional ally.”

The American Conservative Lebanon, the New Gaza ›

As printed Mar 27

“Israel and the United States have given Tehran all the incentives to pursue such a weapon.”

Truthout ›

As printed Mar 26

“Diplomacy and other ways of actually being able to resolve the many tensions and problems that exist with Iran were never exhausted.”

on diplomatic options with Iran before the US-Israeli strikes

Truthout The US-Israeli War on Iran Is Incentivizing Nuclear Proliferation ›

As printed Mar 26

“Trump would have gotten zero enrichment from Iran in this deal if he had declared victory which he easily could have. Instead, he chose to declare war.”

on Trump choosing war instead of a nuclear deal with Iran

Truthout The US-Israeli War on Iran Is Incentivizing Nuclear Proliferation ›

As printed Aug 2

“All of Ukraine’s actions are aimed solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels or people.”

on Ukraine saying its actions target only Russian aggression, not civilians

The Guardian Laura Loomer, Lindsey Graham and the deepening Iran crisis: what’s behind Trump’s reset with Zelenskyy? ›

In their own words Jul 31

“"It is clear to me that there are elements in the Ukrainian military that are opposed to it and recognize a massive risk that this would be because, yes, Ukraine might enter the Iran war, but there's no guarantee necessarily that the United States would enter the Ukraine war."”

Middle East Eye The Iran and Ukraine wars converging ›

As printed Jul 25

“It can cause (foreign leaders) to be more cautious. It can cause them to be fearful of what he may do.”

on Trump's negotiating tactics making foreign leaders wary of his unpredictability

USA Today The art of the bluff? A look at Trump as negotiator in chief, from Iran to China ›

As printed Jul 25

“Part of it is that he’s coming out with this bluster and then settles for something else,”

on Trump's pattern of bold threats followed by lesser final deals

USA Today The art of the bluff? A look at Trump as negotiator in chief, from Iran to China ›

As printed Jun 27

“continuity between Biden and Trump’s first administration,”

The American Conservative ›

As printed Jul 13

“the United States didn’t even win the military phase — despite facing a far weaker conventional force. Iran leveraged geography and asymmetric tactics to blunt American power and inflict a strategic setback.”

on US military failure against Iran despite superior conventional force

Counterfire What is going on between Iran and the USA? ›

As printed Jul 4

“if he loses the elections, he will likely spend the next few years in jail, as he will lose his immunity as prime minister and face trial over corruption charges.”

Truthout Israel Reportedly Planned to Assassinate Iranian Negotiators During Peace Talks ›