Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials have arrived in Tehran together, and the symbolism is hard to ignore. As the war between Riyadh and the Houthis spills onto Saudi soil, reaching Riyadh and its airport, the kingdom is turning to Iran for help. Tehran, however, is backing the Houthi demand that the air blockade on Sanaa be lifted before the fighting stops.
Trita Parsi argues that this is what restrainers have long predicted. When Washington steps back, regional states take on more responsibility for their own security. They will not solve every problem, but they stop relying on American force. In his view, the American military presence has done more to destabilise the Middle East than to secure it.
In this conversation, Parsi reveals that Israeli aircraft reportedly breached Iranian airspace over the weekend, and that Tehran deliberately chose not to respond. He explains why Iran judged it a trap, designed to provoke a war without Israeli fingerprints and to sabotage its talks with Gulf neighbours. He also explains why renewed hostility between Iran and the Arab states is exactly what the Abraham Accords depend on.
Trita Parsi is Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a leading expert on US–Iran relations. His latest analysis appears on Responsible Statecraft and his Substack.
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