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In tortured logic, Trump begs for a do-over on the Iran nuclear deal

May 01, 2020

Responsible Statecraft

Even the Trump administration seems to grudgingly have concluded that breaching the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) was a mistake. More than two years after the U.S. exit, the deal still stands while the Trump administration is running out of options to force a re-negotiation. It is now so desperate it is seeking to convince the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that it never quit the deal in the first place. The lesson to the U.S. is clear: Diplomatic vandalism carries costs — even for a superpower. The lesson to a prospective President Joe Biden is more specific: Rejoin the nuclear deal, don’t try to renegotiate it.

Trump Can Either Leave the Middle East or Have War With Iran. He Can't Have Both.

April 30, 2020

RealClearDefense

“Everybody who has touched the Middle East has gotten bogged down.” Candidate Donald Trump rightly pointed this out in October 2015 as he laid out his vision for a foreign policy that would end America’s forever wars and extract America from its Mideast quagmires. Trump not only tapped into public anger toward Washington’s indifference to the American people’s pain and suffering, but he also pointed to America’s indisputable interest in ending misguided foreign adventures and refocus on domestic needs. President Trump, however, speaks of leaving the region while doing precious little about it. Nowhere has his policy contradicted his promise to get out of the Middle East more than his maximum pressure strategy on Iran.

Covid-19 May Have Given It An Unprecedented Path To The Bomb

March 22, 2020

Responsible Statecraft

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo believes the Coronavirus has made Iran ripe for some bombing. Weakened by both sanctions and the pandemic, a window of opportunity exists to strike it militarily, he reportedly told President Donald Trump. But paradoxically, the pandemic may also have given Tehran an opportunity it neither desired nor faced earlier on. Trump’s sanctions have already begun to shift Tehran’s nuclear calculus. Now, the global chaos fomented by the pandemic may have provided it with the opportunity to make a dash for the bomb.

Between Trump And Tehran, The Iranian People Continue To Suffer

February 12, 2020

Middle East Eye

The clerical government in Iran celebrates another anniversary this week. It’s both an occasion for critics to call attention to the Islamic Republic’s perpetual legitimacy crisis, and for neutral observers to puzzle over the revolutionary government’s tenacity. Tehran's opponents are correct in pointing out that its legitimacy crisis is at its deepest since 2009. Yet, there is little to indicate that the Islamic Republic is about to fall - or that it will be replaced with a democratic system if it does. 

Perhaps The Middle East Is More Stable Without The US?

January 06, 2020

Foreign Policy

It has been a mantra of U.S. foreign policy for a decade or more that, without the United States, the Middle East would descend into chaos. Or even worse, Iran would resurrect the Persian Empire and swallow the region whole.

5 Top Developments After Suleimani's Assassination

December 05, 2019

Responsible Statecraft

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi has made some shocking revelations that put the assassination of Soleimani in a completely different light. He told the Iraqi parliament on Sunday that he “was supposed to meet Soleimani on the morning of the day he was killed, he came to deliver me a message from Iran responding to the message we delivered from Saudi to Iran.”

America’s Syria Debacle Is Not Trump’s Alone

October 18, 2019

Foreign Policy

Rarely have two sides fought over an issue so ferociously only for both to get it so wrong. First, U.S. President Donald Trump announced almost a year ago that he would be pulling U.S. ground troops out of Syria. He failed to do so. And then, last week, he blessed an invasion into northern Syria by Turkey, which he is now punishing through sanctions for its conduct. The only constant is that Trump claims to want to end “endless wars” while doing nothing of the sort.

What Would It Take for Iran’s President to Meet With Trump?

September 18, 2019

Foreign Affairs

U.S. President Donald Trump has lost faith that his campaign of “maximum pressure” against Iran will bring that country to its knees. Trump’s firing last week of John Bolton, the latest of the administration’s national security advisers, signaled as much. And the recent attacks on Saudi oil sites suggest that Bolton’s approach, which was supposed to bring about Iranian capitulation, may instead have begotten Iranian counterescalation and a short brush with war.

Is Trump Accidentally Triggering Reconciliation in the Middle East?

August 08, 2019

The American Prospect

The Trump administration took its irrational animosity toward Iran to new heights this past week by sanctioning Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Though an absurd move that directly contradicts Donald Trump's claim of seeking diplomacy, it appears unlikely to change an increasingly undeniable reality in Trump's standoff with Iran—Zarif and the Iranians are gaining on the long game. This has not escaped America's allies in the Persian Gulf—and some have started to act accordingly. Yet within Trump's defeat lies a victory for America.

Could Obama’s Iran Playbook Save Trump From War?

June 24, 2019

The New Republic

President Donald Trump was conned. He thought his foreign policy advisers had given him an effective strategy to force Iran to renegotiate its nuclear deal with the United States; in reality, this “maximum pressure” strategy was seemingly engineered to corner him into war with Iran.

America’s Confrontation With Iran Goes Deeper Than Trump

June 20, 2019

The Nation

When President Barack Obama accused opponents of his 2015 Iran nuclear deal of being “armchair” warmongers luring Congress toward war, his critics feigned anger. The alternative to Obama’s deal was simply a better deal, they claimed, though most of them had never supported a single diplomatic initiative with Iran. To suggest otherwise was unfair, insulting, and simply fearmongering, they insisted.

Trump blames Iran for the tanker attacks. But let's be skeptical of his administration's pro-war bluster.

June 14, 2019

NBC

The Trump administration was quick to point fingers at Iran after explosions on two oil tankers from Japan and Norway in the Gulf of Oman. Undoubtedly, Iran is a plausible suspect. It has repeatedly threatened to strangle the flow of Persian Gulf oil from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and the UAE if the U.S. embargoes Iranian oil. But the presence of a potential motive does not amount to the presence of evidence, and the owner of the Japanese tanker is already contesting the U.S. explanations.

If Trump really wants to talk to Iran, here's what he should do

May 27, 2019

MiddleEastEye

Amid the confusing signals US President Donald Trump has been sending in the past few weeks, he has managed to suggest to the world that he doesn’t have a strategy on Iran, that he isn’t on the same page as his hawkish national security advisor John Bolton, that he doesn’t want war and - perhaps most importantly - that he wants talks but doesn't know how to get the Iranians to pick up the phone.

In short, he’s doing everything wrong.

Trump’s “Genocidal” Tweets Against Iran Come With a Price

May 21, 2019

TruthOut

Donald Trump threatened to wipe Iran off the map in a moment of yet-to-be-explained Twitter-rage Sunday night. “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!” he wrote. After a few days of apparent de-escalation between the US and Iran, Trump managed to once again fuel fears of an impending war. Yet, Trump’s tweet is likely more a reflection of his frustration over the failure of his pressure and coercion strategy than a carefully thought-through plan for war.

Trump's potential war with Iran is all John Bolton's doing. But it might also be his undoing

May 15, 2019

NBC

National security adviser John Bolton has reportedly requested that administration officials draw up plans to send 120,000 U.S. troops to the Middle East to counter Iran, sending shockwaves through Washington. Bolton, a key architect of the disastrous invasion of Iraq, has long gunned for war with Iran and seems intent on escalating tensions regardless of Tehran’s policies.

Trump's Iran terrorist designation is designed to lock in endless enmity

April 12, 2019

Guardian

With the stroke of a pen, the Donald Trump administration declared more than 11 million Iranians – nearly one-seventh of the country’s population – terrorists. The unprecedented move to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization has rightfully raised concerns that the John Bolton-Mike Pompeo wing of the administration is pushing a clueless Trump closer to open conflict with Iran. But the greater risk is not the short-term impact of this reckless decision, but the way it will entrap future administrations – long after Trump has left the White House – in a no-win enmity with Iran.

Foreign Minister Zarif's risky gamble wins the Iran deal more time

March 04, 2019

CNN

Almost a week after Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif submitted his resignation over Instagram, it's become clear that Zarif made a high-risk gamble -- and it paid off handsomely. Calculating that both the public and many in the political elite would rally behind him, his wager compelled key Iranian leaders to renew their confidence in him.

And with the Iran nuclear deal facing existential challenges over the next few months, the boost for Zarif could not have come at a better time.

Democratic party elites silence Ilhan Omar at their peril (with Stephen Wertheim)

February 16, 2019

The Guardian

This week Democrats plunged into two controversies that portend danger for the party as the 2020 election season begins. Both centered on freshman representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who, not coincidentally, came to America as a Somali refugee and is now one of the two first Muslim women in Congress. Absent an open debate about the party’s values on foreign policy, Democrats are hurtling toward an election more divisive than the one in 2016.

Warsaw summit was a failure for Trump - but a win for Netanyahu

February 15, 2019

Middle East Eye

With a joint statement that did not even mention Iran, there is little doubt that the Trump administration's anti-Iran Warsaw summit was an abject failure - at least when measured against the objective of creating an anti-Iran alliance. That, however, does not mean that the summit wasn’t useful to some of its key supporters. Above all, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands out as a clear winner of the failed summit.

America's Effort to Isolate Iran Will Backfire

February 12, 2019

The National Interest

As the celebrations of the fortieth anniversary of the Iranian revolution comes to an end in Tehran, Secretary Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton are busy gathering an anti-Iran coalition in Warsaw to crush Iran’s clerical rulers once and for all. But there is nothing innovative about the Pompeo-Bolton plan. In fact, Washington has been down this path numerous times before and it has invariably led to failure—even when much of the world was on America’s side. The question is not whether Bolton and Pompeo will succeed or not, but what they will push Donald Trump to do once their failure is clear for all to see.

Don’t Let Democrats Become the Party of War (with Stephen Wertheim)

February 04, 2019

ForeignPolicy.com

This month, the president of the United States will meet for a second time with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Either the path toward peace for 75 million Koreans will advance, or it will reverse into recriminations and nuclear threats. In the coming months, too, the president may act on his desire to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from ill-conceived, open-ended missions in Syria and Afghanistan—or he will continue to keep them in harm’s way, with no strategy for victory in sight.

Beware the Foreign Regime Change Charlatans (with Sina Toossi)

January 24, 2019

The American Conservative

Bijan Kian, a business associate of President Donald Trump’s disgraced first national security advisor Michael Flynn, will likely soon go to jail for violating federal lobbying laws. Together with Flynn, Kian worked on behalf of the government of Turkey. But long before he was peddling Turkish interests, Kian was one of many in Washington taking advantage of America’s military might to settle his personal scores. In his case, he wanted revenge against the clerical regime in Iran.

Trump's international anti-Iran coalition looks like it's falling apart

December 05, 2018

NBC

What's this item about? What makes it interesting? Write a catchy description to grab your audience's attention...President Donald Trump set out to pick a fight with Iran from the early days of his administration. But a set of astonishing developments has pulled the rug out from under his feet, and the next three months will determine whether Trump will opt to escalate his provocations or find a face-saving exit from his bravado.

Hit Saudia Arabia With Your Pocketbook

November 10, 2018

The American Conservative

The brutal murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi should shock all of us, but it should not have surprised anyone. In fact, it is just the latest chapter in the deeply unhealthy U.S.-Saudi lockstep relationship. As long as the Saudis kept oil prices in check, for decades the U.S. has turned a blind eye to Saudi human rights violations, its global exportation of Wahhabism, and even its sponsorship of terrorism that targeted the American homeland.

Is Trump’s Iran Policy Meant to Start a War?

October 15, 2018

The National Interest

Much indicates that the likely murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi will be transformative for Saudi-U.S. relations. But whether it will affect the one issue where Saudi pressure on the United States was the greatest—Iran—is unclear. The Iran strategy favored by Saudi Arabia and the Netanyahu government in Israel, and eagerly adopted by the White House, will likely lead to a military confrontation regardless of whether its assumptions about the status of Iran’s economy and political survivability are true or not.

The Ahvaz terror attack in Iran may drag the US into a larger war

September 22, 2018

Middle East Eye

Iran has been hit by yet another terrorist attack. At least 29 people were killed in the southwestern city of Ahvaz when gunmen opened fire on a crowd watching a military parade on Iran's equivalent of Memorial Day. But unlike previous terror attacks, this one may spark a much larger regional conflagration - involving not just regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, but also the United States. In fact, it may have been designed to trigger just that.

Why talking to Trump is a tricky thing for Iran

August 03, 2018

Middle East Eye

US President Donald Trump's offer of dialogue with Iran without preconditions - which was quickly walked back by his secretary of state - has put the ball in Iran's court once more. Many believe this is a golden opportunity for Tehran to stroke Trump's ego and divert him from his path of confrontation by simply giving him a symbolic victory. But for Tehran - unlike Trump's other bullying victims – making America look good is often the costliest concession that could be demanded of it.

Trump's offer to meet with Iran's President Rouhani won't get us a better deal

July 30, 2018

NBC

After withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and threatening Iranwith "consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before," President Trump announced on Monday that he wants to meet with President Rouhani without preconditions to craft a new deal.

Trump's Iran tweet may trap US in another war

July 25, 2018

CNN

The world has become so numb to the words of the President of the United States that it even dismisses threats of war as either a political distraction or a Trumpian negotiation tactic. Indeed, Donald Trump's threat to inflict on Iran "CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE" may very well have been an effort to divert attention from the Russia investigation. Others have dismissed the danger of the tweet since Trump did an about-face on North Korea, going from calling the North Korean dictator "rocket man" to a "very honorable" man. And, on Tuesday, Trump stated once again that he's "ready to make a deal" with Iran.

Why Trump’s Hawks Back the MEK Terrorist Cult

July 20, 2018

New York Review of Books

On July 22, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to address an Iranian-American audience at the Reagan Presidential Library in California. The speech is part of a deliberate policy of escalating tensions with Iran, targeting its economy and supporting Iranian opposition groups—all for the purpose of pressuring and destabilizing Iran. At least one member of an Iranian terrorist group that has killed American citizens will also be in attendance. But it won’t be to disrupt Pompeo’s speech; rather, to support it. In fact, the member is on the invitation list.

Iran is not North Korea: Trump's regional allies prefer civil war to peace

June 13, 2018

Middle East Eye

As US President Donald Trump returns from a successful photo-op in Singapore with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, his focus will soon return to Iran. Israel and Saudi Arabia have eagerly hoped that the Singapore summit would help neutralise the Korean issue so that Trump could turn all his energy towards Tehran.  Yet no one seems to know what Trump's Iran policy actually is. Is he looking for another deal? Is he paving the way for war? Is regime change the real goal? If Saudi Arabia and the UAE decide, it will be none of the above – it'll be much worse.

Why Trump’s Strategy for Iran Is Likely to Lead to War

May 23, 2018

The Nation

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s speech on May 21 only reinforced what was already known about Donald Trump’s strategy for Iran: Either the president is ratcheting up the pressure on Tehran to get a “better deal,” which is the official story and the gist of Pompeo’s message, or he is merely pretending to be interested in new negotiations, while putting into place the building blocks for a military assault on Iran. Yet even if Trump genuinely seeks new negotiations, he is more likely to end up in a war, because the very premise of Pompeo’s speech is false. That’s because more pressure on Iran would not have secured a better nuclear deal in 2015—it would only have led to war, or to a nuclear Iran.

Who Ordered Black Cube’s Dirty Tricks?

May 09, 2018

The New York Review of Books

I had no reason to be suspicious. I receive dozens of media requests a week and this one was no different. Last summer, I received an email from someone who said that he was a journalist—from an outlet I hadn’t heard of before—and that he wanted to ask a few questions about the Iran nuclear deal. At the time, my book on the subject, Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy, had just appeared.

Trump Vindicates Iranian Hardliners And Victimizes Ordinary Citizens

May 08, 2018

Huffington Post

When the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was announced in 2015, the Iranian people poured into the streets to celebrate what they thought was the beginning of a new era. Long squeezed by both U.S. pressure and their own government, they had just cause for optimism. The threat of war was receding, and the sanctions that had stifled Iran’s economy were soon to be lifted. Many hoped that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ― vindicated by his success at the negotiating table ― would leverage his political capital and ease Iran’s harsh security environment at home.

The Tragedy of Bibi Netanyahu

May 02, 2018

The American Conservative

There is something tragic about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The harder he tries, the more he fails. That has been the case with many of his attempts to sabotage diplomacy with Iran and push the US to take military action against the country. And that was certainly the case with his underwhelming powerpoint presentation Monday. What was supposed to be a smoking gun to once and for all nix the Iran nuclear deal, inadvertently made a powerful case as to why the the deal must remain in place.

The End Of US National Interest

April 30, 2018

LobeLog

It was not even a month ago that Donald Trump signaled that he wanted to get U.S. troops out of Syria. “I want to get out. I want to bring our troops back home,” he said at a press conference. Two weeks later, Trump ordered missile attacks against the country. And now his UN ambassador says that the U.S. presence in Syria will remain indefinitely. What changed?

North Korea has shown how to play nuclear poker with Trump - Iran may follow suit

April 30, 2018

MiddleEastEye

The negotiations leading to the Iran nuclear deal - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - were painstakingly detailed. Almost every eventuality was identified and planned for - except one: that the American people would elect as president a geopolitical novice hell-bent on erasing the legacy of his predecessor regardless of the implications for US national security.

Now, this unforeseen eventuality risks turning a central tenet of Iran's strategy - to regain the international community's confidence by fully adhering to the deal - into a liability.

War With Iran Won’t Be Iraq All Over Again. It’ll Be Much Worse.

March 30, 2018

Huffington Post

With John Bolton joining the White House as President Donald Trump’s new national security adviser, risk of the U.S. going to war with Iran has increased to levels not seen since Dick Cheney was vice president.

Bolton and Cheney were both architects of the Iraq war, a war that Bolton publicly stands behind to this day. And Bolton has consistently advocated bombing Iran ― and even pressed United Nations Ambassador Nicki Haley to trigger a confrontation in order to kill the Iran nuclear deal. Bolton’s nomination has Americans rightly alarmed that we could soon be dragged into yet another quagmire in the Middle East.

Blame Trump If Iran Races for the Bomb

March 29, 2018

ForeignPolicy.com

The nuclear deal with Iran hangs by a thread. The appointment of John Bolton — an unapologetic proponent of war with Iran — as U.S. national security advisor has prompted celebrations among Iran deal detractors. The announcement that nuclear talks with North Korea will be held around the same time that U.S. President Donald Trump must decide whether to keep or kill the Iran deal has further complicated the picture. Yet few in Washington understand how Trump’s gamble with Pyongyang may impact Tehran’s nuclear calculations.

Florida shooting reminds us of how Trump's Islamophobia is making Americans less safe

February 25, 2018

The Guardian

Last week’s horrific school shooting reminded us that Donald Trump has made America less safe. While mass shootings predate Trump, he has done something his predecessors did not: domestically, he’s shifted our focus towards immigrants and Muslims as threats, while willfully neglecting the threat posed by racists and rightwing extremists. Internationally, he’s imposed a Muslim ban that targets citizens of countries with no history of engaging in terrorism on US soil, at the expense of far more accurate predictors of violence.

Will the Israeli-Iranian Showdown Be in Syria — or New York?

February 15, 2018

DefenseOne

In today’s Middle East, when parties look for a greater power to pressure regional actors not to escalate, they don’t turn to Washington. They turn to Moscow. With leverage over Israel, Iran, and Syria, Russia is in a unique position to stop the wider conflict that threatens to erupt — and particularly after a single day saw an Iranian drone reportedly penetrate deep into Israel, the downing of an Israeli F-16, and Israel’s massive bombardment of targets inside Syria. And although the military situation could yet spin out of control, there are reasons to believe that the fight may turn political instead.

January 13, 2018

Washington Post

Our strongest alliances now face a point of no return.For the past four decades, the United States and Iran have demonized each other to no end. According to Tehran, America is “the Great Satan” whose imperialist designs have destabilized the Middle East and brought nothing but misery to the people of the region. Washington, meanwhile, depicts Iran as the “leading state sponsor of terrorism” and a member of the “Axis of Evil” whose “evil hand” is behind every conflict in the region. But somewhere along the way, America’s and Iran’s knowledge about each other was edged out by myths. “Don’t know thy enemy” became the mantra. Here are some common American myths about Iran.

Our strongest alliances now face a point of no return.

A key decision by the US president is due by Friday, and could put his country on an almost inevitable path towards more conflict in the Middle East

Trump’s threats to kill the nuclear deal have inhibited investment, leading to continued economic distress—but it was the Iranian government’s leaked budget that enraged the public.

In a matter of days, protests in Iran have quickly spread across the country, taking the government by surprise and leaving analysts and pundits alike confused. Part of the reason many have been caught off guard is because these protests appear quite different from their 2009 predecessor -- in terms of size, leadership and objective.

November 30, 2017

The Huffington Post

Pompeo and Cotton are close ideological allies on foreign policy and can do untold damage to U.S. national security.

November 15, 2017

The National Interest

Many observers have connected the dots and concluded that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is seeking to drag the United States into a war with Iran and Hezbollah. But that’s only half the story. Looking at the recent events through a broader geopolitical lens, a much more sinister plan emerges: a Saudi plan to trap the United States in a permanent standoff with Tehran.

October 12, 2017

The Huffington Post

Make no mistake: We do not have a crisis over the Iran nuclear deal. It is working and everyone from Secretary Mattis and Tillerson to the US and Israeli intelligence services to the International Atomic Energy Agency agree: Iran is adhering to the deal. But Trump is about to take a working deal and turn it into a crisis ― an international crisis that very likely can lead to war. While the decertification of the Iran deal that Trump is scheduled to announce on Friday in and of itself doesn’t collapse the deal, it does trigger a process that increases the risk of war in the following five ways.

It's still unclear whether Donald Trump's expected decision to decertify the Iran nuclear deal will lead to the total collapse of the agreement. But the truth is that decertification is only half the story. The bigger threat to the deal is Trump's apparent intention to ratchet up pressure in the region on Tehran. Doing so risks not only scuppering the agreement, but putting the United States and Iran on a collision course that could result in outright conflict.

October 10, 2017

The New York Review of Books

If Donald Trump decertifies the nuclear deal this week, the political fallout within Iran will be no different from earlier instances of Washington’s punishing of Iran’s moderates. Voices against the deal in Iran will strengthen, and those who favor a more confrontational policy toward Washington will once again have the wind in their sails. This help to Iran’s hard-liners could not come at a more opportune time.

Blind American support for the policies of its close allies is nothing new. For decades, human rights abuses in allied countries have been willfully ignored, America’s veto has been used to prevent allies from being censored by the United Nations, and arms sales have proceeded despite the weapons being used in what human rights organizations have deemed to be war crimes. And all along, you as an American tax payer have financed these policies.

President Donald Trump took a page out of the George W Bush playbook at his UN address on Tuesday. To justify confrontation with Iran, conflate it with Pyongyang. To justify confrontation with North Korea, conflate it with Tehran.

September 18, 2017

The Huffington Post

Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Donald Trump at the White House and push the U.S. to withdraw from the nuclear accord with Iran. Netanyahu will present an argument that Trump already has come to accept: America’s adherence to the nuclear deal cannot solely depend on Iran’s compliance with the agreement, but also whether Iran’s other policies challenge U.S. national interests. It’s a more honest argument compared to the slogans Netanyahu has used in the past. But it is also a line that fundamentally contradicts Netanyahu’s central message of the past decades: That Iran’s nuclear program constitutes an existential threat to Israel.

When Donald Trump first put into place his Muslim ban, he justified it on security grounds. The targeted nations were allegedly failed states and hotbeds for terrorists. At first, a majority of Americans gave Trump the benefit of the doubt. The media even referred to it as a temporary “travel ban,” as if it only affected people’s short-term vacation plans rather than permanently disrupting their lives and treating them differently solely based on their place of birth. Those who pointed out that the ban lacked a security justification or that it was racist at its core were met with skepticism. But all of that was before Charlottesville and Trump’s speech in Phoenix last night.

Donald Trump wants to kill the Iran nuclear deal. Exactly why he aims to destroy a perfectly functioning arms control deal that has prevented both an Iranian nuclear option and war with Iran remains unclear. Despite Iran's confirmed adherence to the deal, Trump claims Iran is in violation of its "spirit." (I have written a book on the negotiations and the deal but have yet to come across the text of the deal's spirit.)

"This was never about enrichment.” The academics and officials in the room were taken aback. For a former senior Israeli official to deny the importance of the nuclear issue was unusual, to say the least. The conversations, attended by American civilian and military officials and other Western representatives, as well as Iranian diplomats and Tehran’s then-nuclear negotiators, were shockingly honest.

The Mask Is Off: Trump Is Seeking War with Iran

July 28, 2017

Lobe Log

Something extraordinary has happened in Washington. President Donald Trump has made it clear, in no uncertain terms and with no effort to disguise his duplicity, that he will claim that Tehran is cheating on the nuclear deal by October—the facts be damned. In short, the fix is in. Trump will refuse to accept that Iran is in compliance and thereby set the stage for a military confrontation. His advisors have even been kind enough to explain how they will go about this. Rarely has a sinister plan to destroy an arms control agreement and pave the way for war been so openly telegraphed.

How Far Will Trump Go to Kill the Iran Nuclear Deal?

July 20, 2017

The Real News Network

The U.S. has re-certified that Iran is complying with the 2015 nuclear deal, but President Trump has imposed new sanctions in an effort to force Iran to pull out. Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, says the move against Iran is a dangerous escalation 

War with Iran is back on the table – thanks to Trump

July 17, 2017

The Guardian

On the two-year anniversary of the historic Iran nuclear deal, Washington is abuzz with renewed calls for confrontation with Tehran. President Donald Trump should roll back Iranian influence through pressure and sanctions, the argument goes. Some even suggest pressure can lead to regime change, failing to see the contradiction in warning about Iran’s rising influence while predicting Tehran’s downfall if only a few more sanctions are imposed.

July 14, 2017

The American Conservative

When ten American sailors found themselves captives of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps in the Persian Gulf last year, then-Secretary John Kerry secured their freedom in less than sixteen hours. He used a remarkable instrument to score this stunning victory: A telephone.

American policymakers must be smiling from ear to ear. In a country with 56 million eligible voters, more than 41 million Saudis voted in their presidential elections last Friday – the 12th such election over the past 38 years. Despite a litany of obstacles arbitrarily imposed by unelected religious zealots, 73 percent turnout served as a catalyst to re-elect the pragmatist Saudi president with 57 percent of the vote. Moreover, reformists and moderates dominated city council elections across the kingdom. In the city housing Saudi Arabia’s most holy religious shrine, a woman won a council seat using the campaign slogan, “Let’s vote for women.” In one of the most conservative provinces, 415 women won village and local council seats, an increase from 185. In one village there were no men on the ballot at all.

Will America Once Again Undermine Iran’s Pro-Democracy Movement?

June 01, 2017

The Nation

The US government has drawn a big sigh of relief. After decades of being on the retreat, Iran’s pro-democracy forces have regained momentum and are once again moving their country in a more liberal direction. The historic 2015 nuclear deal, which benefited Iran’s moderates, appears to be holding ground. In turn, Washington has decided to double down on diplomacy in order to further move Tehran toward reconciliation and reintegrate it into the global community. Engagement has paid off, and the United States is recommitting itself to the path that’s proven to be the only effective policy toward Iran.

When Zbig Brzezinski Almost Became Iran’s Foreign Minister

May 26, 2017

The Iranian

My PhD committee advisor and National Security Advisor Zbig Brzezinski dies at 89. Without a doubt, one of the sharpest minds of the past century, an absolute giant... [W]ithout a doubt, the most memorable conversation I had with him was over lunch a few years ago when he suddenly asked me: “Did you know that I almost became the foreign minister of Iran?”

Trump in the Middle East: From 'America First' to Saudi and Israel first

May 23, 2017

Middle East Eye

President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East has turned out as expected: no single act of outreach to the Muslim world could undo his fueling of Islamophobia and no amount of Iranophobia could cover up the irony of Trump and Saudi Arabia uniting against intolerance.  

Iran will top the agenda when President Donald Trump visits Israel in a week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely use it to celebrate America’s apparent shift against the Iran nuclear deal and further diplomacy with Iran. Yet the deal that the Israeli  Prime Minister argues has bolstered Iran would not have been reached had it not been for Netanyahu himself. His mishandling of the Iranian issue is a major reason as to why the U.S. and Iran - against all odds - eventually reached a nuclear compromise.

With Iran’s presidential elections days away, pundits and decision-makers alike have been following Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s every move and remark in search of clues over which candidate he favors. The implicit assumption is that the elections are ultimately decided by one vote only—that of Ayatollah Khamenei. In reality, the supreme leader has far less control over elections than what is popularly believed. To the extent that there is a kingmaker in the Iranian elections, it’s not Khamenei but his reformist rival, former President Mohammad Khatami, whose endorsement carries the greatest weight.

It is a sign of the times that when we need to march in defense of facts, of women deserving equal rights, and of science not being a Chinese conspiracy, we also have to defend something as self-evident as the undeniable value of the nuclear deal with Iran from 2015. But in a post-fact era, even diplomatic triumphs that saved the United States from both the threat of nuclear weapons and another endless war in the Middle East face perpetual relitigation.

The Coming Crisis With Iran

April 20, 2017

The New York Times

President Trump has flip-flopped many times during his first months in office. But none may be as consequential as his decision on April 18 to certify that Iran is abiding by the nuclear deal of 2015, paving the way for further waiving of sanctions. In just a few months, Mr. Trump has gone from promising to “tear up” the nuclear deal to allowing its extension.

Why Trump’s Syria Strike Will Not End Well

April 08, 2017

The Huffington Post

U.S. President Donald Trump claims the objective of his cruise missile strike on Syria is to deter Syrian President Bashar Assad from using chemical weapons again. But six years into Syria’s brutal civil war, Trump does not have the luxury of defining his objective that narrowly. Whether he likes it or not, he will be judged by his intervention’s impact on the trajectory of this war. And there, his action has no path to success.

Why Trump's travel ban is still a Muslim ban

March 07, 2017

CNN

President Donald Trump's new travel ban may reduce the chaos at airports caused by his previous executive order, but it will not enhance American security or make the intention behind the original order any less bigoted. Indeed, in our opinion, the new travel ban is still very much a Muslim ban, even if it falls short of the Trump administration's true ambitions.

Trump Didn’t Start The Anti-Iranian Fire March 07, 2017

March 07, 2017

The Huffington Post

Last week, Adam Purinton – a 51-year-old white man – reportedly stepped into a bar in Kansas and shot at two Indian men, killing one. He then left the bar and went to a restaurant where he allegedly confided to a barmaid that he had just killed two “Iranians.” With that act, the anti-Muslim and anti-immigration rhetoric that rode Donald J. Trump to the White House has now spilled over into fear for the physical safety and security of Iranian Americans.

In the post-Obama era, leading American politicians are again playing up the threat emanating from Iran. During James Mattis’s confirmation hearing for secretary of defense, Sen. John McCain warned that Iran continues to “remake the region in its image from Syria, to Iraq, to Yemen.” Mattis, who supports the Iran nuclear deal, has described Iran as “a revolutionary cause devoted to mayhem” and “the single-most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East.” The hyperbole on Iran is complemented by silence on Saudi Arabia’s role in promoting global Salafi-inspired terrorism.

If you thought 2016 was bad in the Middle East - brace yourself for 2017

December 28, 2016

Middle East Eye

It is difficult to be optimistic about the Middle East in 2017. With the bloodshed in Aleppo, Mosul, Yemen and elsewhere in the region, the anger, hatred and sectarian divides have only grown deeper.

Trump should build on Iran deal -- not rip it up

November 17, 2016

CNN

As Donald Trump prepares to enter the White House, he will be the latest in a long line of Presidents to inherit Middle East security challenges. It lies in the interest of the United States to build on the Iran nuclear deal to resolve remaining tensions with Iran and help stabilize the Middle East. The nuclear deal itself was a significant contribution to regional security. Both the risk of an Iranian nuclear bomb and a military confrontation with Iran have been significantly reduced. But Trump must now go even further.

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More Articles

Trump Hasn't Mastered the Art of Killing the Iran Deal, Foreign Policy, November 11, 2016.

 

What Flynn Could Learn From Kerry About Iran, The Huffington Post​, February 01, 2017.

Iranian Hegemony Is A Figment Of America’s Imagination, Foreign Policy, January 24, 2017.

It’s pointless to be the last country sanctioning Iran, Washington Post, July 12, 2016. (With Tyler Cullis)

The Iran Deal Worked-Here's How to Make It Even More Effective, Foreign Affairs, July 11, 2016.

Open Letter: Let Rumi Be Played By A Middle Easterner! , Huffington Post, June 23, 2016. (With Elham Khatami)

The Privilege Saudi Arabia Enjoyed Under U.S.-Led Order in the Mideast Is Over, Huffington Post, January 8, 2016. 

Will the U.S. fall for Saudi Arabia’s deliberate provocation in killing of Shi’ite cleric?, Reuters, January 4, 2016.

3 Steps to Ensure U.S.-Iran Dialogue Continues Under Future Administrations, Huffington Post, January 1, 2016. (With Tyler Cullis)

Can Washington Separate Its Iran Policy From Israel? , National Interest, December 2, 2015.

How Pope Francis US Visit Can Help Boost Diplomacy and Defeat Militarism, Huffington Post, September 22, 2015.

Obama's Real Achievment with the Iran Deal, Huffington Post, September 1, 2015. (With Reza Marashi)

Iranian Human Rights Defenders Coming Out Massively in Support of the Iran Deal, Huffington Post, August 25, 2015. 

The Forward Discovers the Real Iran — Not Netanyahu's Caricature, The Forward, August 17, 2015.

Iranian Americans Firmly Support the Iran Nuclear Deal, Huffington Post, August 11, 2015.  


The Myth of the Iranian Military Giant, ForeignPolicy.com, July 10, 2015. (With Tyler Cullis)


Dignity: The Hidden Factor in the Iran Nuclear Talks, National Interest, July 2, 2015. 


Five reasons why the Iran deal is good for the U.S., CNN, June 30, 2015.

P5+1 and Iran have settled framework for sanctions relief timing, says Iranian sources, Huffington Post, June 28, 2015.


There is something astonishing about the Iran talks, Foreign Policy, June 24, 2015. 


The Iran Talks Game Changer: An Israeli-Hezbollah War?, Huffington Post, May 27. 2015. (With Paul Pillar)

​Why Iran Won’t Capitulate, Huffington Post, May 16, 2015. (With Reza Marashi)

The Summer of War or Peace With Iran (with Jamal Abdi), Huffington Post, May 13, 2015.

 

Nuclear Deal or Not, Dark Years Await the Middle East, Huffington Post, May 8, 2015.​

 

Truce: Iran, U.S. and the Middle East After the Nuclear Deal, World Politics Review, April 21, 2015.

 

Confirmed: The Hawks Were Wrong on Iran, National Interest, April 3, 2015. 

 

For better US-Iran relations, the Iranian people are the key, Quartz, April 2, 2015.

 

Why Iran's Supreme Leader Wants a Nuclear Deal, The Atlantic, March 26, 2015.

 

Why Iran Won't Capitulate, Huffington Post, March 16, 2015. (With Reza Marashi)

 

Bibi's War Cry Rings Hollow in Congress, National Interest, March 3, 2015. (With Reza Marashi)

 

To Netanyahu, Peace Is an Existential Threat, Huffington Post, March 2, 2015.

 

Netanyahu has crossed the point of no return on Iran, CNN, February 26, 2015.

 

How Congress Can Learn to Stop Scuttling and Love the Iran Nuke Talks, ForeignPolicy.com, February 13, 2015. (With Tyler Cullis)

 

Tehran Take Note: Obama is winning over Congress, Reuters, February 1, 2015.

 

The False Gospels That Threaten the Iran Nuke Talks, National Interest, January 30, 2015.

 

The Senate's Gift to ISIS: Sanctions on Iran, Huffington Post, Jan 15, 2015.

 

What Iran Wants, Middle East Eye, December 31, 2014. 

 

If It's True on Cuba, It's True on Iran, Hiffington Post, December 17, 2014. (With Ryan Costello)

 

Iran deal more than a nuclear issue Middle East Eye, December 7, 2014. 

 

Pen-Palling With the Ayatollah, Foreign Policy, Nov 7, 2014.

 

Israel, Obam, Iran and the GOP Senate Victory, Foreign Affairs, Nov 6, 2014

 

How congressional hawks plan to kill Obama’s Iran deal, Reuters, October 27, 2014.

 

Why Rouhani could walk away, Foreign Policy, Sep 18, 2014.

 

Iran and the Gaza war, ForeignPolicy.com, Aug 8, 2014.

 

Policy Memo: A Good Deal Is Better Than No Deal, NIAC, July 17, 2014.

 

Sanctions on Iran 'cost West billions', CNN, July 16, 2014.

 

Report: Iran Sanctions Cost US Economy up to $175 Billion, NIAC, July 14, 2014. (With Jonathan Leslie and Reza Marashi)

 

Should U.S. work with Iran in Iraq? Yes, if it wants to take on the real challenge: China, Reuters, June 23, 2014.

 

Pivot to Persia, ForeignPolicy.com, June 16, 2014.

 

Iran and the US: An Inverted Prisoner's Dilemma, Al Jazeera, May 16, 2014. 

 

No, Sanctions Didn't Force Iran to Make a Deal, ForeignPolicy.com, May 14, 2014.

 

How to strike a win-win deal with Iran (with Reza Marashi), CNN, May 13, 2014.

 

Netanyahu's Iran narrative is falling apart, National Interest, May 8, 2014.​

 

Why the GCC should welcome Iran nuclear talks, Gulf News, April 7, 2014.

 

Why the Saudis Are Panicking, National Interest, April 3, 2014.​

 

Will US sanctions scuttle a nuclear deal with Iran?, Iran Matters Blog at Harvard, March 24, 2014.​ 

 

Iran’s hard-liners using executions to undermine Rouhani, Foreign Policy, March 14, 2014.​ (with Ryan Costello)

 

US-Iran deal: Compromise is key, Al Jazeera, Feb 18, 2014.​

 

The Illusion of AIPAC's Invincibility, Huffington Post, Feb 8, 2014.​

 

State of the Union: Obama Warns Congress Off Sanctions, Huffington Post, Jan 29, 2014.

 

Can Washington dance with Tehran on Syria, Foreign Policy.com, Jan 22, 2014.

 

Khamenei's Little Helpers in the Senate, CQ/RollCall, Jan 9, 2014.​  

 

The wrong path to peace with Iran, CNN, Dec 31, 2013.​ (With Reza Marashi)

 

Which Iran Will We Choose? Huffington Post, Dec 18, 2013.​ (With Bijan Khajepour and Reza Marashi)

 

Report: How to Secure a Final Nuclear Deal with Iran, NIAC, Dec 17, 2013.

 

Iran’s future is now, Reuters, Nov 25, 2013.

 

Enrichment Dispute Between Iran and P5+1 Getting Resolved, Huffington Post, November 22, 2013. 

 

Negotiations with Iran show promise, but true test comes later, Al Jazeera, November 20, 2013. 

 

6 reasons Iran deal was good for America, CNN, November 11, 2013.

 

Iran talks: Do we want a deal or a war?, CNN, November 6, 2013.

 

Serious progress and familiar road map at nuclear talks, Al Jazeera, Oct 16, 2013.

 

Shift in West's position boosts prospects for breakthrough, Al Jazeera, Oct 14, 2013. 

 

How Israel Can Help the US Strike a Deal With Iran, Foreign Affairs, Oct 1, 2013.

 

For U.S.-Iran, it's all in the timing, Reuters, Sep 24, 2013. 

 

Syria: What happened to diplomacy?, Reuters, Sep 3, 2013. 

 

Why Rowhani May Not Be Ahmadinejad II, Forward, August 9, 2013.​ 

 

Don't force an irresponsible vote on Iran sanctions, The Hill, July 25, 2013.​ (With Gen. Joseph Hoar and Col. Lawrence Wilkerson)

 

Iran’s election is neither free nor fair – but outcome matters, Al Jazeera, July 1, 2013.​

 

Why D.C. is wrong to discredit Iran’s new president, Reuters, June 28, 2013

 

Iran’s election is neither free nor fair – but outcome matters, Globe and Mail, June 13, 2013.

 

Can Iranian regime survive yet more political cannibalism?, The New Statesman, June 13, 2014.

 

Iran's March to Naked Dictatorship?, Huffington Post, May 22, 2013.

 

Why Now Is the Time For Syria Diplomacy, DailyBeast, May 16, 2013.

 

​Iranian-American Brothers Lead Charge To Reform US Educational System, Iranian.com, May 8, 2013.

 

​​​​Why sanctions on Iran are not working, Al Jazeera, May 15, 2013. (With Reza Marashi)

​Why the Iran Sanctions Don't Work, National Interest, April 3, 2013.

Report: Why Sanctions On Iran Aren't Working, NIAC, March 26, 2013

3 Facts to Note in Worldwide Threat Assessment Report, Huffington Post, March 12, 2013.

Innocent Iranians Off the Agenda in Almaty, Huffington Post, March 6, 2013.  (With Reza Marashi)

The Ball is in Iran’s Court, The Diplomat, February 28, 2013.

​Washington And Tehran’s Perpetual Search For The Upper Hand, Daily Beast, February 7, 2013.

​Why Is Tehran Procrastinating?, Huffington Post, January 24, 2013.

​​​​​​​Is A Deal With Iran In The Offing?, OpenZion, Jan 3, 2013.

 

More than just about Hagel​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​, Huffington Post, December 27, 2012.



Three Worries About Next Iran Talks, Al Monitor, December 10, 2012​.

 

Iran, Gaza and the New Middle East, The Globe and Mail, November 21, 2012.

 

​How Obama can Succeed on Iran​, Huffington Post, Nov 7, 2012.

​Between American and Iranian Elections, Daily Beast, November 2, 2012

Obama vs. Romney on Iran, Truthout, October 22, 2012.

Bibi’s Three Steps Forward, One Back, Daily Beast, October 11, 2012.

The US and Iran on a dead end path to war?, OpenDemocracy, September 24, 2012.

Tehran's Pitiful Bid For Attention, Daily Beast, September 21, 2012.

Sick of Sanctions, Daily Beast, September 12, 2012.

Netanyahu’s Kennedy Moment, Al Jazeera, September 2, 2012. (With Roi Ben-Yehuda)

Iran and Israel's Contest in Incompetence, Daily Beast, August 29, 2012.

​Obama Made the Right Call -- and Everyone Won, Huffington Post, August 22, 2012.


Israel Ups Iran Ante, But Is It Bluff?, The Forward, August 16, 2012.


Who is Bibi preempting – Obama or Iran?, Daily Beast, August 15, 2012.


Israel’s diplomatic scare game, Salon, August 8, 2012.


Sanctions against Iran hurt the people, not the regime, Newsday, August 5, 2012. (With Jamal Abdi)

 

Iranian Americans, Take a Lesson, Daily Beast, July 18, 2012.

 

From Iran to Bulgaria, Daily Beast, July 18, 2012.


The Blame Game, Daily Beast, June 29, 2012.


The U.S. and Iran's Mistaken Path to War, Huffington Post, June 20, 2012.


Give Obama Elbow Room on Iran, New York Times, June 13, 2012.


Europe's Unique Opportunity to Act, Huffington Post, June 12, 2012. (With Reza Marashi)


Obama, Iran, and the ‘Jewish Vote’, Daily Beast, June 12, 2012.


Too few military threats?, Daily Beast, May 22, 2012.


Is Israel flirting with Iranian terrorists?, Daily Beast, May 15, 2012.


Bibi let go, Daily Beast, May 2, 2012.


Why Netanyahu’s afraid of diplomacy, Daily Beast, April 17, 2012.

 

Brief Thoughts on the Istanbul Talks, Huffington Post, April 15, 2012.


For the sake of Europe, Sarkozy must stand down, Al Jazeera, April 14, 2012. (With Reza Marashi)

 

For Peace, Both Obama and Khamenei Must Compromise, Huffington Post, April 9, 2012.


Self-defeating, Daily Beast, April 3, 2012.


Sanctions make war more likely, Daily Beast, March 23, 2012.


Five Tips for President Obama on Nuclear Negotiations with Iran, Time Magazine, March 20, 2012.


Momentum Shifts Against Iran War, Al Monitor, March 15, 2012.

 

Obama Draws Red Lines and Distinctions on Iran in AIPAC Speech, Huffington Post, March 4, 2012.


Don’t let Iran be a second Iraq, The Hill, February 27, 2012. (With Jamal Abdi)

 

Six Questions Reporters Should Ask of Anyone Advocating Military Action Against Iran, Huffington Post, February 24, 2012.


Are We on the Brink of War With Iran?, The Nation, February 8, 2012.


Blunt Instrument - Sanctions Don’t Promote Democratic Change, Boston Review, February 6, 2012. (With Natasha Bahrami)


How Obama became vulnerable on Iran, Salon, January 31, 2012.


Obama vs. Netanyahu vs. Ahmadinejad, CNN, January 19, 2012.


How Obama Should Talk to Iran, Washington Post, January 13, 2012.


Assassination to scuttle talks, CNN, January 11, 2012.

 

Will Momentum for EU Oil Embargo on Iran Wreck Diplomacy?, Huffington Post, January 7, 2012.


Without renewed diplomacy, war with Iran lies around the corner, CNN, December 28, 2011.


Why the UK Embassy in Iran Was Attacked: The Domestic Angle, Huffington Post, December 2, 2011.


A glimpse inside Iran’s nukes, Salon, November 9, 2011.


Is Netanyahu bluffing once again?, CNN, November 4, 2011.


The "Come To Jesus" Moment In US-Iran Relations, Huffington Post, October 12, 2011. (With Reza Marashi)


Iran's growing bluster spells danger, Los Angeles Times, October 2, 2011.


The Coming Republican push on Iran, Salon.com, September 18, 2011.


Who won Libya? Salon.com, August 25, 2011.

 

Mujahedin Machine vs. The Iranian-American Community, Huffington Post, August 16, 2011.


How to help the people of Camp Ashraf, PBS Frontline, August 12, 2011.


Washington's favorite terrorists, Huffington Post, June 29, 2011.


Freeing Israel from its Iran bluff, Foreign Policy, May 11, 2011.


How Obama can reach the Iranian people: Start with visas, Huffington Post,  March 1, 2011. (With Jamal Abdi)​


A New opportunity for the US to promote human rights in Iran, The Atlantic, March 17, 2011.


WikiLeaks eliminated charade and the wiggle room for diplomacy it created, The Hill, November 29, 2010.


Want to defuse the Iran crisis?, Foreign Policy, November 12, 2010. (With Reza Marashi)


A Campaign For War With Iran Begins, Salon, August 13, 2010.


US Shouldn't Dismiss Turkish-Brazilian Nuclear Deal, Huffington Post, June 1, 2010.

 

Iran's Nuke Deal Irritates Washington, ABC.com, May 18, 2010.


Why Are Reps. Miller and Posey Refusing to Wish Iranians a Happy Norooz?, Huffington Post, March 22, 2010.


The Iranian Riddle, Time Magazine, March 15, 2010.


Iran’s Unhappy Anniversary, The Daily Beast, February 12, 2010. (With Rouzbeh Parsi)


We must not ignore human rights in Iran, Financial Times, February 11, 2010.


How Washington Can Really Help the Greens in Tehran, ForeignPolicy.com, February 9, 2010.(With Ali Nader)


Bombing Iran?,The Economist, January 13, 2010.


U.S. policy must factor in changed landscape in Iran, The Hill, January 12, 2010. (With Muhammad Sahimi)


Has Iran Reached a Breaking Point?, Daily Beast, December 27, 2009. (With Rouzbeh Parsi)


Obama Should End Silence on Human Rights Abuses in Iran, The Huffington Post, December 7, 2009. (With Dokhi Fassihian)


With Iran, Diplomacy Is the Only Solution, New York Times, September 25, 2009.


Will the Focus at the UN Be on Ahmadinejad's Human Rights Abuses?, Huffington Post, September 22, 2009.


To Talk or to Sanction, Obama’s Iran Dilemma, BoomGenTV, September 8, 2009.


Unforgivable Crimes in Iran: The Under-Reporting of Deaths, Huffington Post, September 7, 2009.


Throwing Ahmadinejad a Lifeline, New York Times, Aug 14, 2009. (With Hossein Askari)


The case for a tactical pause, ForeignPolicy.com, July 30, 3009.


The end of the beginning, ForeignPolicy.com, June 26, 2009. (With Reza Aslan)


What Obama must do now on Iran, Christian Science Monitor, June 22, 2009.


Who's Fighting Who in Iran's Struggle?, Time Magazine, June 16, 2009.

 

How Diplomacy with Iran Can Succeed, Huffington Post, June 11, 2009.

 

Why Roxana, Huffington Post, April 21, 2009.


Netanyahu and Threat of Bombing Iran -- The Bluff that Never Stops Giving?, Huffington Post, April 8, 2009. 


Will Tehran Tango? Obama's Historic Norooz Message, Huffington Post, March 20, 2009.


The Path Back to Square One, The MidEast Peace Pulse, March 9, 2009.


On Iran, begin with end in mind, Chicago Tribune, February 22, 2009 (With Stanley Weiss)


Can Khatami Make a Comeback?, Huffington Post, February 8, 2009.
Did Obama Wink at Tehran?, Huffington Post, January 23, 2009.
Israel, Iran and Gaza: Trapping Obama in Imagined Fault lines, HuffingtonPost, Jan-uary 13, 2009.
Why diplomacy and sanctions don't mix, BitterLemons, December 4, 2008.
How to Stop an Iranian Bomb, The Guardian, October 31, 2008. (With Andreas Persbo)
Blog post on Rootless Cosmopolitan, Israel Gets real on Iran, October 15, 2008.
Deciding the fate of the Mujahedin, Washington Times, October 5, 2008
Drawing a red line with Iran, International Herald Tribune, July 28, 2008. (With An-atol Lieven)
These enemies have faces, Haaretz, July 18, 2008. (With Roi Ben-Yehuda)
Reading Solana in Tehran, IPS, July 7, 2008.
The alternative to an Israeli attack on Iran, Christian Science Monitor, July 2, 2008. (Co-authored with Shlomo Ben-Ami)
Mismarriage of Convenience, Foreign Policy Magazine, June 10, 2008.
Larijani's Election Can Boost Congressional Diplomacy, IPS, June 4, 2008.
Can P5+1 Offer Break the Nuclear Stalemate?, IPS, May 9, 2008.
Can the U.S. and Iran Share the Middle East?, IPS, April 18, 2007.
How to reduce tensions and promote human rights in Iran,Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 27, 2008.
Will Naval Incident Undermine Bush's Iran Message?, IPS, January 9, 2008.
The Case for Talking to Tehran, The Forward, December 19, 2007.
Denying Iran's Democrats, Huffington Post, December 19, 2007.
Iran must be included in peace talks, Newsday, December 12, 2007.
Is Iran NIE a Blessing in Disguise for Israel?, IPS, December 6, 2007.
The Iranian Challenge, The Nation, November 19, 2007.
Letter to Editor - WSJ, October 22, 2007.
A sober analysis of Iran, Ynet News, October 14, 2007.
Iran, the Inflatable Bogey, Rootless Cosmopolitan (Tony Karon's blog), October 10, 2007.
Fund bridges, not failed policy, The Hill, September 11, 2007.
Bush Indictment of Iran Tops Usual Rhetoric, IPS, August 29, 2007.
Terror Label for Guard Corp Entrenches US-Iran Enmity, IPS, August 15, 2007.
US-IRAN: New War Rhetoric Undercuts Iraq Talks, IPS, June 12, 2007.
Scholars Bear Brunt of Anti-Diplomacy Backlash, IPS, May 23, 2007.
Sweden Could Begin A New Diplomatic Track With Iran, Svt, May 11, 2007. (Swedish Version)
Can Europe End The Lose-Lose Game With Iran?, IPS, May 10, 2007.
Duel For Leverage Fuels Conflict, Not Diplomacy, IPS, March 30, 2007.
Will Surge Hurt US More Than Sanctions Hurt Iran?, IPS, February 26, 2007.
What If Iran Suspends? A Western Dilemma, IPS, January 26, 2007.
Bush's Iraq Plan - Goading Iran Into War, IPS, January 12, 2007.
US Failure To Talk To Iran Is A Key Contributor To The Region's Instability, Finan-cial Times, January 3, 2006.
Blair's Mideast Message Echoes Past Failure, IPS, December 22, 2006.
Iran is Key To Course Change on Iraq, IPS, November 9, 2006.
Italy Boosts Talks on Iran, But Real Test Lies Ahead, Antiwar.Com, September 21, 2006.
EU And Iran Find Their Roles Reversed, IPS, September 7, 2006.
Washington's Enrichment Fetish, Tompaine.Com, August 28, 2006.
Europe Has Six Days to Resolve Suspension Dilemma, IPS, August 25, 2006.
NIAC Brief: Influencing Iran’s Nuclear Options, NIAC, August 7, 2006.
NIAC Brief: Is Iran Behind the War in Lebanon?, NIAC, July 24, 2006.
Israel Readies for Iran Showdown by Attacking Lebanon, IPS, July 17, 2006.
A Parallel Strategy Can Free Washington, Bitterlemons-International, July 7, 2006.
Israel Fears High Price for U.S. Strike on Iran, IPS, July 5, 2006.
Under the Veil of Ideology: The Israeli-Iranian Strategic Rivalry, Middle East Report Online, June 9, 2006.
Gulf States Rethink U.S.-Led Security Alliance, IPS, June 1, 2006.
The United States’s double-vision in Iran, OpenDemocracy, May 9, 2006.
A Modus Vivendi Between Jerusalem and Tehran, Forward, March 17, 2006.
A challenge to Israel's strategic primacy, Bitterlemons.org, January 05, 2006.
Is nuclear parity with Iran a blessing in disguise for Israel?, Jane's Intelligence Re-view, January 2006.
Iran is awaiting a much fairer Western nuclear offer, Daily Star, November 8, 2005.
Ahmadinejad's speech and the Iran-Israel Cold War, OpenDemocracy.net, October 28, 2005.
Europe's mendacity doomed Iran talks to failure, Financial Times, August 31, 2005.
The Unwitting China-Iran Axis, The Globalist, August 10, 2005.
Who Lost Iran? Jerusalem Post, July 28, 2005.
Iran Policy - Is Turkey the model?  The Globalist, July 18, 2005.
Iranian Public Opinion and Tehran's Nuclear Program, Tharwa Project, April 4, 2005.
America's Failure May Lie in Its Own Success, Bitterlemons.org, March 17, 2005.
Reconnecting Iran with Democracy, Financial Times, January 3, 2005.
Wither the Persian-Jewish alliance?  Bitterlemons.org, December 16, 2004.
Victorious Bush has rare chance to bring Tehran in from the cold, Daily Star, No-vember 5, 2004

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