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Dialogue Works
CHATS WITH DR S.M. MARANDI
Streamed live 9/26/26
This video features an interview with Professor Seyed M. Marandi, where he discusses the current tensions between Iran and the United States following the rejection of a short-term de-escalation proposal by the Trump administration (0:28-1:03). Professor Marandi explains that the proposal was a compressed version of an earlier Memorandum of Understanding, but was ultimately rejected due to internal political pressures and the Israeli regime's influence (1:03-2:07).
Key themes from the discussion include:
- Escalation and Conflict: Marandi warns that the region is heading toward further escalation rather than peace, suggesting that the United States is actively fueling conflict (4:41-5:28, 28:02-29:21). He argues that Iran is maintaining its stance to retain the support of the "global majority" and key partners like China and Russia (2:34-3:56, 6:46-7:15).
- Regional Dynamics: The professor discusses the role of Gulf states (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Oman), arguing that some are acting as hostile actors by hosting US military assets that facilitate strikes against Iran (8:35-10:54, 11:40-13:21).
- Nuclear Policy: Addressing persistent questions, Marandi emphasizes that Iran maintains its policy of not pursuing nuclear weapons, labeling accusations to the contrary as political propaganda intended to justify aggression (24:25-27:31).
- The Palestinian Cause: Marandi asserts that the ongoing violence in Gaza is the root cause of regional instability and reiterates that Iran is standing as the primary supporter of the Palestinian people against what he describes as a genocide (38:46-44:32).
Marandi is clear that Washington's course is likely to end in disaster for all parties concerned, not merely in the Middle East, with enormous destruction in the region, as Iran retaliates for the US/Israeli bloc's assaults, but globally, as the world economy goes into a tailspin of inflation and networked crises, due to critical scarcities of energy, especially diesel. "If Trump attacks Iran's infrastructure (esp. its electricity networks), we enter the final phase, warns Marandi, as Iran is liable to wipe out the Gulf statelets' desalination plants and other essential resources causing an unsustainable situation throughout the region.
