Iran’s Long War

Nearly eight months since it began, the war in Iran has settled into a grim stalemate. Two essays in the new issue of Foreign Affairs consider just how long this stalemate could continue—and what decision-makers in Tehran think they can achieve in the coming months. In “The New Forever War,” Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group argues that Iran prefers deadlock to any plausible compromise with Washington. In “Why Iran Escalates,” Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar of Texas A&M argues that Tehran will pursue a more ambitious goal: forcing the United States out of the Middle East altogether.

Read more Ukraine Can Turn Imminent Peril to Its Advantage

Senior Editor Daniel Block spoke with Tabaar and Vaez on Monday, October 12 to discuss U.S. and Iranian strategies, the future of Iran’s Axis of Resistance, and the durability of a regime that Western policymakers have often underestimated.

Read more The Middle East’s Quiet Liberal Revolution

Sources:

“The New Forever War” by Ali Vaez

“Why Iran Escalates” by Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar

“Can Iran Save Itself?” by Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar

“The Long Twilight of the Islamic Republic” by Ali Vaez

This episode of The Foreign Affairs Interview was produced by Adrian Feinberg and Kanishk Tharoor, with audio engineering by Todd Yeager and original music by Robin Hilton. Special thanks as well to Irina Hogan.

Read more The Global AI Bust