Los Angeles Times: Middle East analyst Trita Parsi warns us about the dangers of current U.S. policy towards Iran while explaining how an “accidental clash” in the Persian Gulf could take place in the meantime. According to Parsi, a desperate, weakened Iran [...]]]>
Los Angeles Times: Middle East analyst Trita Parsi warns us about the dangers of current U.S. policy towards Iran while explaining how an “accidental clash” in the Persian Gulf could take place in the meantime. According to Parsi, a desperate, weakened Iran can be more dangerous than an emboldened one:
Wall Street Journal: Jay Solomon reports that “Iranian leaders have rebuffed” the idea of a direct military hotline between the U.S. and Iran to prevent accidental war between the two countries in the Persian Gulf. He adds that the “snubbing of the U.S. idea by Iranian naval and Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commanders” appears to “further undercut the political position of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.”
But there was never any direct proposal, was there? So can we really consider this a formal rejection? When both countries are talking at the air rather than to each other, what are we supposed to believe? The Islamic Republic is puffing up its chest, yes, but that’s not uncommon for a defiant country when it’s on the defensive. When some of the highest ranking members of the U.S. military are suggesting opening channels of communication, shouldn’t more effort be made to do so? As Reza Marashi argues, it’s time to “Turn Rhetoric Into Results.”
Jerusalem Post: A short article in the JPost has a big headline: “Israel fears Iran will copy its policy of nuclear ambiguity.” Nothing is stated about Israel’s secret nuclear arsenal, but the following statement is made about Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities even though it’s highly contested and certainly not a proven fact:
The few “months” time frame is a favorite for hawkish analysts, but that’s the lowest end of an estimate that reaches years. We are then informed that Israel guesses that Iran intends to “manufacture a number of nuclear devices” without any evidence provided other than a quote by an unnamed Israeli “senior official.”
Washington Post: Ernesto Londoño provides a fair assessment of Iran’s hosting of Taliban members at a Tehran conference in September:
The State Department did not comment on the conference but Londoño importantly notes that