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The Latest Breaking News from Vali Nasr

Iran's leaders show united front over war but are divided over what the goal is

Iran's leaders exhibit unity on war strategy but differ on the ultimate objective. Ultra-hardliners seek total victory, while pragmatists pursue a negotiated deal with the United States. The Supreme National Security Council backed a ceasefire, which later crumbled amid escalating strikes. Hard-liners use state media to rally support and denounce…

The Economic Times

Wednesday briefing: How Trump’s Iran gamble has produced a crisis reshaping the global order

In today’s newsletter: A White House operating without expertise, strategy or restraint is stuck in a conflict with no easy way out, which is sending economic shockwaves far beyond its own borders

The Guardian - UK

Why is Trump risking midterm disaster by resuming the unpopular Iran war?

Less than a month after hailing a ceasefire, Trump resumed strikes on Iran, a move experts warn could prolong the war and hurt Republicans before the midterms

The Guardian - US

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Atmosphere in Iran remains highly charged after Ayatollah’s funeral and escalation of grievances with US

World is witnessing a turning point, says ministry spokesperson, as Iran seeks to assert independence amid rising tensions

The Guardian - UK

Iran deal is 'a major setback for the United States', ex-adviser to State Department says

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Vali Nasr, professor of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University and former adviser to the US State Department, explained that "the war is ending in Iran's favour" and that "the outcome is definitely not favourable to Israel". "It's very difficult not to see…

France 24

Chaotic talks on a US-Iran deal continue on the Trump rollercoaster

Amid rhetoric, market uncertainty and tit-for-tat exchanges, the two sides are still trying to find a way out of the impasse

The Guardian - UK

Far-right praise for shah’s secret police puts Reza Pahlavi on the spot

Son of deposed shah forced to distance himself from the once-dreaded Savak as some of his supporters glorify it

The Guardian - US

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Looming Iran peace deal shows how Trump’s maximalist goals have shrunk

Sobering reality for president after three-month odyssey that threatens to take him back to where he started

The Guardian - US

'United States of the Middle East?': Trump's Viral Truth Social Post Renews Fears Over American Expansionism

President Trump posted a provocative map of the Middle East with the US flag, sparking reactions amid sensitive US-Iran negotiations. The post coincided with Trump's abrupt cancellation of a planned trip.

International Business Times UK

JD Vance’s key role in Iran talks presents him with a thorny predicament

Vice-president faces challenges as he assumes potential role of point man in endeavor to end a war he opposed

The Guardian - US

The Secret Life of Mojtaba Khamenei: Inside the Taboo Intelligence Report That Has Tehran in a Death Spiral

Iran's command structure appears to be splintering after the deaths of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ali Larijani, with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei still out of public view and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps increasingly central to decision‑making in Tehran.

International Business Times UK

Iran crisis: Ayatollah’s son Mojtaba Khamenei elected as successor of slain Supreme Leader - report

Iran's Assembly of Experts is reportedly deliberating on Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the Supreme Leader, as his successor, with the IRGC pushing for his appointment. While Mojtaba is the front-runner, some clerics express reservations due to potential targeting by the US and Israel. The selection process is ongoing amid heightened…

The Times of India

Conflict calculus: Why Khamenei is betting on war with US for regime survival

The United States has built up one of its largest Middle East deployments in years, with two aircraft carriers moving into position and additional warships and aircraft arriving in the region. The State Department has also begun thinning out exposed outposts. Meanwhile, Iran is preparing itself for a protracted war…

The Times of India

Iran's grand strategy now looks like a sham

Vali Nasr’s book is seriously good, profoundly insightful and full of fresh thinking

Evening Standard

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The Guardian - UK

Why is Iran’s nuclear programme so essential to its identity?

Why does a country with large oil reserves feel such a need to have home-grown civil nuclear energy?

The Guardian - UK

Israeli strikes have not knocked out Iran’s nuclear programme – or its nuclear ambitions

Damage done since Friday could be rebuilt within months, and the attacks are likely to fuel both government and popular desire for a nuclear deterrent

Reason

Why Economic Sanctions Against Iran Are Backfiring

How Sanctions Work argues the consequences of economic warfare don't always serve American interests.

France 24

Iran: West should ‘test the waters’ on nuclear deal with Pezeshkian in power, expert says

FRANCE 24 spoke to Vali Nasr, professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at John Hopkins University. Nasr explained how Iranian reformist Masoud Pezeshkian ended up winning the presidential election that followed the death of hardline president Ebraim Raissi. While Iran's accelerated uranium enrichment is condemned by Western powers,…

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Al Jazeera

Will Iran’s foreign policy change under a new president?

The two candidates offer different approches, but whoever wins won’t be the sole decision-maker in Iran’s system.

Reason

Sanctions Are for Losers

While sanctions fail to change Iran's policies, they inflict severe hardships on civilians and rally support for the regime.

Al Jazeera

Tightrope: Jordan’s balancing act between Iran and Israel

As regional tensions soar, the kingdom is contending with domestic as well as international pressures.

The Guardian - UK

World waits anxiously for Iranian response to Israel’s killing of top general

As Tehran seizes a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, Israelis are tense, waiting for next step

Al Jazeera

‘Disastrous’: Israel-Iran tensions test limits of US policy amid Gaza war

Biden’s ‘ironclad’ backing of Israel is coming into conflict with stated US goal of averting regional war, analysts say.

The Guardian - US

Biden accused of betrayal of Khashoggi over push to deepen Saudi ties

Activists and Democrats condemn rapprochement – aimed at heading off China – with ‘autocratic, sociopathic government’

The Independent UK

Biden trip promotes budding Arab-Israeli security ties

Once-unthinkable coordination between Israeli and Arab militaries is coming into greater focus as Joe Biden heads into his first Middle East trip as president

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