Trita Parsi

Iran supported Russia in Ukraine.

And that means that for the first time, the Europeans actually view Iran as a direct threat because they view Russia as an existential threat, right or wrong.

And there's a desire to punish the Iranians for having supported Russia against Ukraine.

Thirdly, they know that the transatlantic relationship is extremely strained.

They know that from the US side, we're tired of paying for their security, tired of the Ukraine war, tired of their lack of willingness for some sort of a compromise to end that conflict.

So by taking this move,

endearing themselves with the elements in the Trump administration that are very hawkish, the neocons that are still in there, I think their calculation is that this will then help them manage the other tensions that exist in the transatlantic relationship because of the deep divisions that exist on Ukraine and Russia.

So it has actually less to do whether they actually believe that this is going to bring about some sort of a diplomatic end to the crisis with Iran.

I would keep a very close eye on this discussion about the snapback.

And if we see that leading to further escalation rather to some de-escalation, then I fear that it will be more escalatory.

And in that, you will then see the pressure and arguments saying that the Iranian nuclear program is still there.

Trump did not finish the job.

All those different types of arguments in order to lay the deck for this massive pressure campaign on Trump to go back into war.

If you go to my Twitter, it's tparcy at Twitter on X. Go to the Quincy Institute, which is quincyinst.org.

That's the website.

And I think it's the same handle on X as well.

I think what went really right is that both sides recognized that they need a deal. And that to get a deal, they need to have reasonable demands and not go for this type of maximalist approach that oftentimes has been the case. Both sides have politics in their countries that is very unforgiving of any type of a compromise with Iran or with the United States.

I think what went really right is that both sides recognized that they need a deal. And that to get a deal, they need to have reasonable demands and not go for this type of maximalist approach that oftentimes has been the case. Both sides have politics in their countries that is very unforgiving of any type of a compromise with Iran or with the United States.

I think what went really right is that both sides recognized that they need a deal. And that to get a deal, they need to have reasonable demands and not go for this type of maximalist approach that oftentimes has been the case. Both sides have politics in their countries that is very unforgiving of any type of a compromise with Iran or with the United States.

But Trump is very different in that sense. He doesn't really care what the political establishment in Washington thinks about these things. I think he's very... eager to get some sort of a deal because it's kind of part of his persona to be a dealmaker. And the Iranians recognize this.