Amy Goodman
@DemocracyNow·3.2M subscribers·19.4K videos
"Extremely Dangerous Situation": Trita Parsi Warns U.S. & Iran Have Incentives to Escalate Conflict
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February 18, 2026
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As U.S. and Iranian officials continue negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, President Trump has ordered a buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers. "This is an extremely dangerous situation, which both sides are actually incentivized to escalate," says Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "Both sides actually believe that a short, intense war may improve their negotiating position."
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Both U.S. and Iran incentivized to escalate conflict
Trump administration believes military superiority enables quick Iran victory
Iran believes U.S. has lower pain tolerance based on Houthi precedent
Unknown how Trump would respond to significant U.S. military casualties
Trump states regime change in Iran would be best outcome
Khamenei warns strongest army could receive devastating blow
Regional countries fear Iran conflict would cause state collapse and civil war
Israel attacked seven regional countries since October 7th
U.S. administrations violated law by lifting constraints on Israel
Reza Pahlavi allied with Israel and calls for military intervention
U.S. and Western sanctions have impoverished Iranian population
Desperate Iranians yearn for military intervention to remove government
Mainstream media elevates pro-intervention voices while suppressing anti-intervention majority
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