Iran-U.S. Ties Fray on Nuclear Concerns

The threat of military confrontation between Iran and the U.S. is real, as bilateral relations touch a low point on Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon, says Trita Parsi, founder of the National Iranian American Council. A former Wilson Center public policy scholar, Parsi questions whether efforts to negotiate and engage with Iran have hastened conflict, making war a more real risk than under the Bush administration, which employed a more hardline approach to Iran.

In his new book, Trita Parsi explores the state of the Obama administration’s diplomatic relations with Iran and how a series of diplomatic failures led to the current state of affairs. With Iran's nuclear program progressing and international efforts to dissuade the regime failing, the threat of military confrontation becomes more real. Is there another way forward and can diplomacy work?

Trita Parsi is a former Wilson Center Public Policy Scholar. He is Founder and President of the National Iranian American Council and author of, A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran.

Middle East Program

The Wilson Center’s Middle East Program serves as a crucial resource for the policymaking community and beyond, providing analyses and research that helps inform US foreign policymaking, stimulates public debate, and expands knowledge about issues in the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.   Read more

Middle East Program