What Iran Might Do Next

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Fears of all-out conflict in the Middle East have grown since Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in an Iranian guesthouse on July 31. Just the day before, Israel killed a top commander of another Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, in Beirut. With a new president only recently inaugurated in Tehran, how will Iran respond? 

Leading Iran scholar Trita Parsi has warned of regional escalation since Oct. 7. He joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal in conversation to discuss new threats, as well as the regional implications. Haniyeh was also Hamas’s chief negotiator for cease-fire talks; what’s next for peace plans in Gaza? How will this affect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s already-diminished popularity?

Video clips from this event

  • After the assassination of Hamas’s political leader on Iran’s own soil, what are Tehran’s response options? Trita Parsi says that after experiencing a “profound humiliation,” Iran has no choice but to escalate. 

  • Parsi explains his fear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only is willing to risk escalation but may be attempting to goad Hezbollah and Iran into a war.

  • Will the Middle East strategy of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris differ from that of President Joe Biden? Parsi explains why he believes her thinking “actually does differ quite a lot” from the current handling of the Israel-Hamas war. 

  • How would a Trump-Vance administration handle the Middle East tension? Parsi says Trump has to walk a fine line between his support of Israel and his America First policy. 

Read the Transcript

What Iran Might Do Next

As the Middle East braces for further escalation, what are Tehran’s options?

Insider  |  Ravi Agrawal

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