By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Growing tensions between the United States and Iran are taking center stage in Washington.
Today, lawmakers, policy experts, and leading voices on Iranian-American relations convened for a high-profile symposium addressing the future of U.S. strategy toward Iran.
The event comes just days before a “very big meeting” between the U.S. and Iran, scheduled for Saturday, according to President Trump.
High-level U.S. officials are expected to meet with their Iranian counterparts to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.
“I don’t begrudge the administration for seeking direct negotiations. But, you know, if you didn’t like the book, you won’t like the movie. The Iranians are great at essentially dragging out any negotiations to force everybody, including the United States, to succumb to their agenda,” said Marc Ginsberg, former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco and White House Middle East adviser.
America’s approach to Iran continues to demand the attention of U.S. policymakers and experts including Ginsberg.
“Everyone knows that Iran is making a mad dash to acquire a nuclear weapon. But most importantly, everybody knows that this is a golden moment of opportunity to seize the initiative against Iran in the Middle East,” said Ginsberg.
Iran has come under intense scrutiny over its proxies, including Hamas and the Houthis, especially since the October 7 attacks. Ginsberg emphasized that dismantling these groups is critical for peace in the region and the emergence of new leadership in Iran.
“The dismantling of these proxies is critical not only to rid the regime of its terror tentacles but, more importantly, to give the people of Iran an opportunity to see this as a window through which they can further push the regime over the cliff,” said Ginsberg.
Ginsberg and other leading voices participated in the Capitol Hill symposium Tuesday, hosted by the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC). It focused on the dual challenge of countering Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region while amplifying support for the Iranian people’s aspirations for freedom and liberty.
“The regime in Iran is a threat to all of mankind,” said Dr. Majid Sadeghpour, Political Director at OIAC. “Iran holds the highest per capita execution rate in the world. It kills more of its citizens than any other country.”
Dr. Sadeghpour says the current regime is extremely vulnerable.
“The dissent in Iran is very strong. Attention should be given to the Iranian people and their organized effort to overthrow the regime,” he said.
To pave the way for new leadership, Sadeghpour emphasized the importance of global support.
“The free world, particularly the United States, must offer them moral and political support,” he said. “It will not fall by bombs from the sky. It is at its weakest point ever. It is those kids, young, brave men and women inside Iran, the resistance units, who are able to overthrow this regime. They deserve our political backing. The free world must recognize their struggle to overthrow this regime,” Sadeghpour added.
Meanwhile, high-level officials in the Trump administration are preparing for direct nuclear talks with Iran this weekend.
“We’re having direct talks with Iran,” said Trump in the Oval Office Monday. “Doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious. And the obvious is not something I want to be involved with—or, frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with—if they can avoid it.”
In recent weeks, President Trump has floated military action to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons but said Monday he hopes to avoid escalation.
“Hopefully those talks will be successful. And I think it would be in Iran’s best interest if they are,” he added.
Leading voices pushing for regime change in Iran argue the status quo is no longer acceptable. Ginsberg believes the administration must enter negotiations with a clear objective and avoid being stalled.
“There really should be one purpose in this negotiation: to set a verifiable timetable for Iran to dismantle its nuclear program, and for that to be verified and enforced by a coalition of countries,” said Ginsberg.
