Since the end of the 12-day war this summer, an uneasy ceasefire has held between Iran, Israel, and the United States.

The war saw hundreds dead, as well as widespread destruction in both Iran and Israel. The short conflict that began with an Israeli surprise attack may have only set the stage for further conflict. The Israeli and U.S. attacks damaged, but did not destroy, the Iranian nuclear program, and despite attacks on Iran’s leadership, its government did not collapse. Meanwhile, both Iran and Israel have continued to trade threats, while President Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S. is likely to jump back into new rounds of fighting between the two countries.

The next phase of the war between Iran, Israel, and their backers might possibly be far more bloody and violent than the first. The conflict also threatens to involve the U.S. in another major Middle Eastern war, even as politicians in the U.S. have promised to leave the region.

This week, Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain is joined by Trita Parsi, the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Parsi is an award-winning author with a focus on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. You can read his latest Substack piece here and his latest piece for Foreign Policy magazine here.

Listen above or on the Drop Site News channel on Apple, Spotify, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe