Trita Parsi On Iran: No 'Military Solution' In Nuclear Standoff (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON -- The author of a recent book on the Obama administration's efforts to solve the Iran nuclear crisis through diplomacy says he sees no "military solution" to the standoff -- and suggests that military action might only serve to enhance tensions over the issue.

Trita Parsi, the author of "A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy With Iran," spoke to The Huffington Post during a visit to the D.C. bureau earlier this week.

"Even at the best case scenario, even if it managed to set the program back two or three years, all it would do, most likely, is it would redouble the Iranian desire for a nuclear deterrence, precisely because they were attacked," said Parsi, who is the president of the National Iranian American Council. "When people are talking about a military solution, I find that kind of ironic. I think perhaps you can say about a military option, but the idea of a military solution I think one should contest, because I have not come across any military people who truly believe that it can work."

Parsi, who is also the author of a previous book about the complicated history of Israel and Iran's relationship, said that the intensity of chatter about war this year -- a perennial part of Middle Eastern discourse -- makes conflict seem all the more likely.

In his latest book, Parsi reveals details about the Obama administration's early attempt to engage openly with Iran, concluding that the effort had been well-intended, but lacked sufficient patience and time to work.

The lack of open lines of communication, Parsi said, has greatly complicated American efforts to consider negotiations with Iran. "We don't know what they want because we're not talking to them," Parsi notes. Moreover, Parsi argues that Iran may not even know exactly what it wants because it has not had to lay out terms in a negotiation.

Watch the videos above and below to hear Parsi discuss the looming dangers of war with Iran, his analysis of Iran's internal nuclear ambitions, and previous failed efforts to diffuse the crisis peacefully.

Why Iran may not even know what it really wants:

How 2009's Green Revolution interrupted President Barack Obama's attempt to engage with Iran:

Why there is no way to predict what will happen across the region after a military strike:

Comments

[Mladen Andrijasevic]

11:58 AM on 02/21/2012

What Tom Donilon has been telling the Israeli leadership is probably something along these lines: Forget all the opinions voiced by scholars of Islam like Bernard Lewis and Raphael Israeli who combined have more than a hundred years of experience in research on Islam and who say that Iran is looking forward to a nuclear war. Forget what Reza Kahlili , the man who used to be a CIA agent within the Revolutionary Guards is saying about the Mahdi and the end of days beliefs of the Iranian leadership . Forget what Harold Rhode who worked for the Pentagon says about Iran. Trust us. We know what we are doing. Just look what a great job we did in Egypt and Syria. And if Iran still attacks and destroys Israel we promise that we will retaliate and obliterate Iran. You are not happy? You say you do not want to be incinerated in the first place?! How odd, we never thought of that. See MAD is Deadhttp://www.madisdead.blogspot.com

[PermanentVacancy]

02:34 PM on 02/28/2012

They have medicine for that paranoia.

[YoBear]

09:45 AM on 02/21/2012

The article doesn't talk about the scenario of Iran developing 100s of nukes. Historically Iran plays hostage cards against the west, and now they will have nukes. Anyone care to address that? Do the leaders of Iran value life enough to not use those nukes?

[PermanentVacancy]

02:36 PM on 02/28/2012

They don't have the ability to develop one nuke let alone hundreds!!! Paranoia is rampant. Yeah.. better to kill millions of Iranians than to even run the risk of Iran EVER getting a nuke! Thats a moral logic if I've ever heard one.

[Cody30]

06:03 AM on 02/21/2012

Iran knows what it wants,and in the least it is for outsiders to stop telling them what to do. The U.S. can not tolerate a nation that stands up to them.Ofocurse it does not help to have Israel pulling on our pant leg screaming," Beat them up! They are baaaaaddddd"

We have over 100 nuclear facilities.Let Iran have one.Shoot even Pakistan has one,and no one seems to freak on that.Many coutries have them.Iran has a right to them regardless of their feelings toward Israel.

It is all just a power play. Britian is still pissed off they lost control over Iran and their oil despite helping the CIA overthrow the once democratic Iraninan government back in 1953.

Yes, we helped overthrow a DEMOCRATIC governement because we simply did not like the leader at the time. That is who we are.

[wwoody]

11:03 PM on 02/20/2012

Iranian a destroyer and a supply ship docked in the Syrian port of Tartus after passing through the canal this week Tartus port is the home to Damascus-ally Russia's only Mediterranean naval base.
It has been reported the Iranian and Syrian are planning military exercises in the Mediterranean this spring, four more Iranian destroyer are due to arrive in the region by next month. Now that being said is Israel planning on still attacking Iran over it nuclear program? Israel knows the pendulum swings both ways...mea­ning if they (the Israelis) attack Iran on their own their homeland would be subject to counter attack, which could possible start WW3. A war that the world don't need.

[moflard]

04:39 AM on 02/21/2012

The problem is Israel doesn't care if it starts WWIII.

[Cody30]

06:05 AM on 02/21/2012

That is so true.They figure if they drowned they will drowned as many as they can with them.

[wwoody]

02:34 PM on 02/21/2012

I really hope you're wrong...we don't need another war..especially possible WW3. Fan to you and favorite.

[chiggg]

06:54 PM on 02/20/2012

test

[chiggg]

07:00 PM on 02/20/2012

Sorry, just mistake. Please remove it.

[realitytrumpsbull]

05:55 PM on 02/20/2012

Well, whether Iran will have The Bomb in 3 years or 3 days, what happens 3 minutes after Ahmenidinijad launches the Thermonuclear Deathpenis? Probably nothing good, for Iran...or the rest of the region. I just wonder if Iran invests in US defense companies...along with Israel...and the rest of this is mainly a Big Show for the public, somehow?

[P51MUSTANG]

08:56 PM on 02/21/2012

pure (evil) genius. The Mullahs invest in General Dynamics while watchign their country get shattered. That should be the plot for a Bond film.

[peter010908]

12:27 AM on 02/20/2012

When will the US learn the violence isn't the answer?

[gneep]

11:09 AM on 02/20/2012

they know it and have known it.....google: war is a racket

[peter010908]

05:41 PM on 02/20/2012

The second largest industry in the world in the weapons industry... war is big business.

[MikeDu]

01:07 PM on 02/19/2012

I haver a novel idea. Stop threatening them, stop trying to strangle them, just let them build their nuclear deterrance capability... if that's even what they want to do. What business is it of ours? Iran is no more likely to use its nuclear weapons than France is. What we *should* be worried about is the India/Pakistan nuclear face-off. Yet Bush/Obama signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with India for unfathomable reasons.

[Lfwngcons]

04:13 PM on 02/19/2012

Iran has a strong hatred for Israel, there is a fear that Iran will use it on Israel and this should be avoided. That is why it is in our interests

[peter010908]

12:34 AM on 02/20/2012

You don't believe that crap to you?

Iran’s biggest enemies are the US and Israel, both have extremely powerful militaries and both are nuclear. Everyone knows you don’t invade a country that’s nuclear. Now after they saw how easily the US walked all over Iraq they believe they are next. So in their eye’s what else are they going to do? I’d want nukes as a deterrent if I was them and so would you; it would be ignorant to say if you were in their shoe’s you’d think differently.

Even if they do get a bomb no one would use it. If they launched a nuke not only will it most likely get shot down but then it would legally give Israel the green light to retaliate with a few dozen of theirs.

I know they talk tough but so what, take a look at North Korea and the South, they are still technically at war, you don’t see them using nukes. Take a look at Pakistan and India, they are sworn enemies, you don’t see them using nukes.

Problems is people watch too much tv and start actually believing all the crap they see.

[Cody30]

06:12 AM on 02/21/2012

Well that is life isn't it? Sometimes you will have people who hate you.So we should make an entire nation suffer? Have you looked at the nuclear situation in other coutnries? Many have nuclear power. Do you think no one else hates Israel? Noone else can build a nuke and bomb Israel???

The former leader of Libya backed down on his nuclear development.We all saw what happened to him.If I were the Iranian leader I would learn from Khaddafi's mistake and not give in to the west.North Korea did not give in and the world did not end in war.

If Israel starts a war over *fear* then God be with them.

[Cody30]

06:15 AM on 02/21/2012

We would have done the same agreement with Iran,but Israel does not want Iran to have any nuclear capabilities.Yes, you would think Pakistan would be more of a concern,but because of Israel the sights are set on Iran.

[wwoody]

09:08 AM on 02/19/2012

Everyone looking for a way out of this choke hold, without going to war. Economy sanction is the last calling card escalation of global economic pressure hopefully to halt Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program. In some circle it's believe Iran already possesses an nuclear weapon.

[dogpaddle47]

10:54 AM on 04/13/2012

The only "circle" that believes Iran already has a nuclear weapon is the circle that wants the US to attack Iran.
This lie is just like the "WMD threat" that was claimed about Iraq.

[Norge]

06:59 AM on 02/19/2012

Well the simple common sense of the matter is that when another country tells another they cannot do something which will further their peoples', in this case electrical grid, they will tell the other country to stuff it and how much blood are you will to lose to stop us and when America sits with 20,000 nukes they really are in no position to talk about the dangers and with Isreal sitting with its' 200+ nukes, well, they can go and stuff it also.

[tartentart]

11:09 AM on 02/19/2012

Excellent point! And let's not forget about Iran's buddies China and Russia.

[dogpaddle47]

10:56 AM on 04/13/2012

"And let's not forget about Iran's buddies China and Russia. "

This is an asinine comment.

[peter010908]

12:40 AM on 02/20/2012

Iran is no threat to the US.... let Israel take care of their own issues.

[Justice4rAll]

10:30 PM on 02/17/2012

Out of all the countries in the Middle East, history shows that Israel has been the biggest whinners and most paranoid peoplein that whole region...
I am more concerned with all the"ancient" nuclear facilities not only in the US but throughout the world. There is a bigger danger (like what recently happened in Japan) from nuclear disaster in this instance than Iran....

[Justice4rAll]

10:03 PM on 02/17/2012

Feb 17, 6:41 PM EST
Global clearinghouse ready to evict Iranian banks
By ANNE GEARAN and SLOBODAN LEKIC
Associated Press
BRUSSELS (AP) -- A financial clearinghouse used by virtually every country and major corporation in the world agreed Friday to shut out Iran from its respected network, an unprecedented escalation of global economic pressure to halt Iran's suspected drive for nuclear weapons.

Quicker than a succession of slow-acting economic sanctions, expelling Iran from the banking hub could put a sudden choke hold on its oil-dependent economy. The move was made under strong pressure from the United States and the European Union, which are looking for ways to derail Iran's nuclear program quickly without a military strike.

"If SWIFT follows through on its public commitment to ban Iranian banks, it could sever the Iranian regime's financial lifeline," said Mark Dubowitz, an Iran sanctions expert advising the Obama administration. "It would also be a significant political embarrassment for the regime: Iran would be the first country in SWIFT's history to be expelled from what is the financial equivalent of the United Nations."

The European Union is expected to act within weeks to effectively cut off major Iranian banks from participation in The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, known as SWIFT. It's a move of last resort, with risks ranging from huge inflation and financial hardship for ordinary Iranians to disruption and price increases on the world oil market. Iran could also retaliate in unpredictable ways.

[wwoody]

02:42 PM on 02/17/2012

Don't fight or start a war .....just because Israel want us too..is a very scary scenario?...too many X factor to over come.

[head-out-of-sand]

11:48 AM on 02/17/2012

Is_rael attacked Gaza and killed several Palestinia­ns and blamed Iran! Is_rael blamed Iran for NOT having nukes capability and therefore letting Is-rael to maintain her nuclear monopoly in the ME! And free hands to attack anyone/ anywhere on her wish.

http://reason.com/archives/2012/02/13/false-fears-about-a-nuclear-iran