Sina Toossi سینا طوسی Profile picture
senior fellow @CIPolicy | Iran, US foreign policy, Middle East | bylines @ForeignAffairs, @ForeignPolicy, etc. | substack: https://t.co/4Y4e0xyAJf
Feb 9 15 tweets 3 min read
🧵I attended this very insightful discussion on a new book by about the impact of sanctions on Iran.

I have yet to read it (very much looking forward to doing so), but here’s a thread on some insights from Narges Bajoghli and @vali_nasr that stood out to me from yesterday >>> 2/

- Biden missed an opportunity to revive the nuclear deal with Iran when he came to power in Jan 2021.

-Biden thought that he could use the maximum pressure campaign to get Iran to fully comply with the deal first, and then offer sanctions relief.
Jan 16 14 tweets 3 min read
🚨Iran's Missile & Drone Strikes: A Strategic Escalation in the Middle East?

The region is on the brink of a major conflict, as the Gaza war rages on & Iran launches a series of missile & drone attacks against targets in Iraq & Syria.

Some thoughts on the Iranian strikes 🧵>>>

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2/ These strikes, which Iran claims are in retaliation for Israel's recent assassination of a commander in Syria & ISIS suicide bombings in Iran, have raised the stakes in the regional power struggle & sent a clear message to its adversaries.
Dec 3, 2023 4 tweets 2 min read
This is insane! Mike Pompeo has gone all-in on the Iranian MEK cult, & delivers a scathing critique of Iranian monarchists who he says “failed to gain any traction during the uprising over the past year” & “collaborate with the IRGC." To any serious observer, it is obvious that the Iranian diaspora opposition is in total shambles. Figures like Reza Pahlavi, Masih Alinejad, & the MEK have groveled at the feet of the likes of Pompeo, Netanyahu & Trump, who couldn’t care less about human rights or democracy.
Nov 22, 2023 10 tweets 3 min read
9 prominent Iranian political prisoners write a letter denouncing Israel’s “massacre of the people in Gaza” & calling for solidarity with Palestinians.

They say Iran’s “Women, Life, Freedom” movement must oppose war & oppression in any form.

(THREAD)👇
akhbar-rooz.com/224294/1402/09…



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2/ The prisoners say, “The monster of indifference will be the Achilles’ heel of our revolutionary movement.” They warn that ignoring the suffering of others will only strengthen ruling forces & make change impossible. They urge Iranians to stand with the Palestinian people.
Nov 21, 2023 9 tweets 2 min read
From behind bars, Hassan Saeedi, an Iranian labor activist, speaks out for peace & justice in Palestine. He urges an immediate halt to the Gaza war & the Israeli occupation. He also coveys the support of a major independent labor union in Iran.

A 🧵>>>

akhbar-rooz.com/224156/1402/08… 2/ Saeedi, who is being imprisoned in Tehran's notorious Evin prison for his labor activism, says that Iran's labor movement "has always been and will continue to be a defender of workers, the oppressed, and the underprivileged people in the world."
Oct 16, 2023 9 tweets 3 min read
🚨 Iran’s FM Abdollahian warns of potential “preemptive action” by Iran & its allies in the “coming hours” in the region to counter Israel’s attacks on Gaza. This is a serious statement that signals a real possibility of Iran and/or Hezbollah joining the war against Israel.>>> Abdollahian says, “resistance leaders will not allow the Zionist regime to take any action it wants in Gaza & then leave Gaza & go to other resistance spheres."

In other words, he's saying Israel will target Iran & its allies after Gaza, and that it is better to confront it now.
Oct 12, 2023 8 tweets 2 min read
🧵Biden has abandoned an unwritten agreement he struck with Iran a month ago.

By breaking his word, he's jeopardized the fragile peace between the US & Iran & increased the risk of a massive regional conflict.>>> 2/ Criticism of the deal intensified in recent days after the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas.

Although US intelligence sources have downplayed Iran’s direct involvement in the attack, Biden faced pressure from hawks in both parties to abandon the deal.
Aug 29, 2023 59 tweets 27 min read
#رشته_توئیت هیچکس (@HichkasOfficial) اخیرا اظهارات تکان دهنده ای را در توییتر منتشر کرده است که از آمریکا برای انداختن بمب های اتمی بر روی ژاپن تحسین می کند و و او معتقد است که همین کار را بر علیه «کمونیست ها» نیز باید انجام می شد⏪.
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۲/ با آدمی که همچین تفکری دارد، بحث کردن فایده ای ندارد، اما ما همچنان می توانیم واقعیت های تاریخی را بررسی کنیم. آیا آمریکا واقعا در استفاده از بمب های اتمی علیه ژاپن دلایل موجه داشت؟
Aug 9, 2023 29 tweets 10 min read
🧵مقاله‌ای مهمی از @markcurtis30 در مورد کودتای ۲۸مرداد بر اساس اسناد محرمانه بریتانیا 👇

او نحوه توطئه انگلیسی‌ها با آیت‌الله کاشانی را فاش می‌کند و چگونه با استفاده از پول، «تبلیقات سیاه» وعملیات پرچم دروغین مصدق را به عنوان یک کمونیست لکه دار کردند و هرج و مرج ایجاد کردند. Image ۲/ بر اساس اسناد محرمانه بریتانیا، انگلیسی‌ها و آمریکایی‌ها در نظر داشتند آیت‌الله کاشانی را به عنوان یک رهبر وابسته در ایران پس از کودتا نصب کنند.

https://t.co/Yrn7Yr8BHddeclassifieduk.org/iran-1953-mi6-…
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Jun 18, 2023 11 tweets 3 min read
🧵The Saudi foreign minister's visit to Iran marks a historic moment in the long-standing rivalry between the two regional powers. But what does it mean for the US?

The US stands to benefit & better secure its regional interests by recalibrating its approach to the Middle East⏩ ImageImageImageImage 2/ Under Trump, the US reversed course on Obama’s diplomatic approach and adopted a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran that reneged on the nuclear deal, imposed crippling sanctions, and increased political and military backing to Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Jun 15, 2023 4 tweets 2 min read
As the US & Iran approach a possible de-escalation deal, Israel’s stance seems to soften. Netanyahu claims Israel “will be able to handle” the outcome of the negotiations, while Israel’s US Ambassador suggests “diplomacy isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry… This apparent shift in the Israeli position raises the question of how US-based “pro-Israel” groups like FDD and UANI will react. They will find it hard to reconcile their hawkish stance with a more nuanced and pragmatic tone coming from Israel’s leaders.
May 28, 2023 19 tweets 4 min read
🧵A day after a deadly border clash between Iran & the Taliban, senior Iranian military officials visited the area & both sides say they want to reduce tensions.

But what's behind the border skirmishes, which have happened repeatedly since the Taliban seized power in 2021?>>> ImageImage 2/ Officials from Iran assert the skirmish, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1 Iranian border guard & 1 Taliban fighter, along with several injuries, was sparked by the Taliban's “disregard for international laws.”

Contrarily, Taliban officials have blamed Iran.
May 26, 2023 7 tweets 3 min read
🧵Shame on @RepJoeWilson for meeting with Reza Pahlavi & his extremist cronies like Amir Etemadi, who spew hatred & violence against Iranians, Palestinians, & anyone who opposes their monarchist agenda. >>> 2/ Wilson opposes women’s rights like abortion in the US, but claims to care about human rights & democracy in Iran.
May 10, 2023 15 tweets 2 min read
🧵One of the main flaws of Iranian diaspora opposition figures like Alinejad & Pahlavi is that they've aligned themselves with the agenda & interests of hawkish & right-wing political forces in the US & Europe, who have no genuine concern for democracy or human rights in Iran.>>> 2/ These forces have a history of supporting wars, sanctions, coups, & regime changes that have caused immense suffering & instability in the Middle East and beyond. They have also exploited the issue of women's rights in Iran as a pretext to demonize & isolate the country.
May 8, 2023 10 tweets 3 min read
Dubowitz overlooks how Iran’s retaliation for Soleimani’s assassination also contributed to Saudi Arabia & others rethinking their strategies. Iran’s precision missiles destroyed US military assets in what CBS called “the largest ballistic missile attack ever against Americans.” ImageImage Iran seized the opportunity that the Trump administration gave it to demonstrate its military power against a global superpower. It launched precision strikes against U.S. targets hundreds of miles away, destroying hangars, living quarters and military equipment.
May 8, 2023 5 tweets 2 min read
🧵5 years ago today, Trump made a disastrous mistake. He pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal & unleashed a storm of sanctions that have ruined the lives of millions of Iranians.

Today, we should not forget the real people who have suffered because of this cruel policy.>>> ImageImageImageImage 2/ For the past 5 years, the Iranian people have faced one hardship after another. Their economy has all but collapsed. Their health care has crumbled. Their government has become more brutally repressive. Their society has been destabilized.
Feb 18, 2023 9 tweets 3 min read
🧵 Destructive foreign interference in Iran has been a persistent issue throughout modern Iranian history. The result of these efforts has never been positive for the Iranian people or the cause of democratization in Iran. 2) From the 19th century when colonial powers carved Iran into spheres of influence & exploited its resources, to the 20th century when foreign powers installed authoritarian leaders like the Shah, to the present day with “maximum pressure” & covert/overt interference.
Feb 16, 2023 4 tweets 1 min read
Reminder: China will never prioritize its relationship with Iran over its relationships with other Persian Gulf states or its broader global interests. China is the world's largest importer of oil, & the Persian Gulf region is a critical source of energy for it. It seeks strong economic ties with many Persian Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, & Qatar.
Nov 28, 2022 4 tweets 1 min read
Netanyahu's forming extremist government has many Israel experts worried about ethnic cleaning & even genocide of Palestinians.

To think that this overtly misogynistic, homophobic & antidemocratic government will unashamedly give lip service to caring about the Iranian people... Reminder: You can't pretend to care about human rights & democracy in Iran when you don't care about or ignore assaults on democracy & human rights in Israel/Palestine.
Nov 28, 2022 11 tweets 4 min read
In the past 11 weeks of #IranProtests, over 400 have been killed by security forces, including at least 50 minors.

Over 18,000 have reportedly been arrested, w at least 10 facing charges that could lead to the death penalty.

A 🧵on the scale of repression & int'l accountability Yesterday, @UNICEF condemned violence against children in Iran.

It noted that Iran is a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child & must "fulfil the rights of children to life, privacy, freedom of thought & peaceful assembly."

unicef.org.uk/press-releases…
Oct 24, 2022 7 tweets 3 min read
Amid the #IranProtests, sanctions proponents should read this 2018 essay by @PeterBeinart👇

It makes a strong case, citing academic studies & historical examples, that broad sanctions hurt democratic transition & entrench authoritarianism.

A 🧵on this>>>
theatlantic.com/international/… Beinart states, "The academic literature is clear: Far from promoting liberal democracy, sanctions tend to make the countries subject to them more authoritarian and repressive."

Countries under broad sanctions face a significant erosion of human rights & become less democratic. Image