Ross Harrison

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.

Ross Harrison, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and author focused on Iranian strategy, joins to unpack US-Iran tensions. He and Negar Mortazavi dissect White House rhetoric versus back-channel talks. They compare Trump’s past diplomacy, critique maximum pressure limits, and explore Iran’s asymmetric battlefield moves and escalation calculus.