🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷 EXCLUSIVE: Tehran University Professor Foad Izadi warned me not to fall trap to the Western narrative that the war is over, and that Iran is preparing for a continuation of the war
The discussion shook me, as it gave me a glimpse to a completely different narrative in Iran, one of distrust, anger and preparedness for the worse
Foad told me that Trump’s objective of controlling the Strait of Hormuz has not been completed, and therefore the war is more likely to continue than to have ended
He’s seen this playbook before: Negotiations used to disguise preparations for war. And the additional troops Trump has sent to the region fuel this fear
We also had a heated discussion about Hezbollah’s role in all this, debating whether the group acts in the interests of Lebanon or Iran, and what the future holds for the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
Here’s what we talked about:
• Whether the true objective of the war was Iran’s nuclear program, securing influence over global oil flows, or leverage against China
• Why Foad thinks the odds of war resuming are still alarmingly high despite Trump’s recent comments
• Why he believes Hezbollah is acting in Lebanon’s interests, not as a simple Iranian proxy
• Whether any real U.S.-Iran deal is possible when Congress, sanctions law, and Netanyahu still shape the playing field
@IzadiFoad
00:00 – Iranian influence vs. Lebanese sovereignty in the Hezbollah conflict
02:14 – Analyzing the "Regime Change" narrative and Trump's influence on Iranian policy
05:32 – The proxy debate: are Hezbollah and regional militias independent actors?
09:45 – Escalation risks: the potential for direct military conflict between Israel and Iran
13:20 – Economic impact: how sanctions and regional instability affect the Iranian public
17:55 – Diplomatic deadlocks: the challenges of reviving international nuclear agreements
21:12 – Misinformation and the media war: how both sides shape the regional narrative
25:40 – US foreign policy: the role of the Israeli lobby and Washington’s strategic goals
30:15 – Regional alliances: Iran’s relationship with neighboring Gulf states and Russia
34:50 – The "Two-State" vs. "One-State" solution: debating the future of Palestine
39:12 – Internal Iranian politics: the evolution of the regime under international pressure
43:25 – Youth perspectives: shift in American public opinion regarding the Middle East
47:33 – Closing reflections on historical precedents and the path to regional peace
