The Iran Podcast US-Israel War on Iran Expands
Mar 25, 2026
Ross Harrison, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author on Iranian foreign policy, speaks from Washington, D.C. He explores how widened regional conflict and multiple actors complicate any route to de-escalation. He explains why leverage, not initial trust, shapes negotiations. He warns about spoilers and the practical risks of implementing ceasefires across fractured fronts.
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Market-Timed Ultimatums Are Seen As Ruses
- Donald Trump fit his brand by surprising others with negotiation moves, but Tehran views sudden market-timed ultimatums as tricks.
- Negar Mortazavi highlights the message arriving at market open and a Friday close deadline as seen in Tehran as a ruse.
Iran Wants Deterrence And Economic Benefits
- Iran seeks to end the war on its own terms by securing deterrence and economic gains like sanctions relief.
- Negar Mortazavi describes Iran considering charging passage fees for the Strait of Hormuz and getting wartime oil benefits they lacked in negotiations.
Leverage Matters More Than Preexisting Trust
- Negotiations don't require initial trust, but implementation does; leverage matters more than trust going in.
- Ross Harrison argues Iran's widened Gulf strategy creates leverage they lacked in Geneva, complicating the trust question.