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Sina Toossi

@sinatoossi.bsky.social
2.5K followers 180 following 343 posts

senior fellow at the @CIPolicy.bsky.social | write a lot about Iran, US foreign policy, Middle East | bylines Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the Guardian & elsewhere | check out my substack: dissidentforeignpolicy.com

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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
A friend just returned from Palestine. Daily humiliation & oppression is intensifying everywhere: raids, settler attacks, home seizures, checkpoints, systematic discrimination for Palestinians in 1948 Israel. It's hard to fathom. Yet this is what so many in Washington defend. 🧵>>>
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza continues unabated despite ceasefire
amnesty.org
Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza continues unabated despite ceasefire
More than a month after a ceasefire was announced and all living Israeli hostages were released, Israeli authorities are still committing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, by c...
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
There’s still a segment of the liberal political & foreign-policy pundit class that, even now, can’t bring itself to criticize Israel — though they’d condemn any other state for the same actions. At this point, that silence says something deeper and darker about many of them. 🧵>>>
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 29/11/2025
Israeli analysts are whipping up a more fervor against Syria as Israel expands its attacks. On Telegram, Eran Lahav, fresh off a program with FDD, casts Syria’s internal dynamics as “Al-Jolani’s sophisticated jihad.” The narrative is clearly primed for more attacks. 🧵>>>
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Apartheid South Africa waged endless regional wars under a “total strategy,” claiming it was fighting the Soviets while feeding off Western backing. Israel now does the same with Iran. But Pretoria’s militarism only brought isolation, economic strain & accelerated collapse. 🧵>>>
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it's about gratitude. It reminds us how interconnected we are. Even in foreign policy, the suffering we cause elsewhere reshapes us at home. Gratitude brings us back to our better nature. Some thoughts ⬇️
dissidentforeignpolicy.com
On Thanksgiving & Gratitude
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it’s devoted to one simple, profound act: being grateful.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
Apartheid South Africa waged endless regional wars under a “total strategy,” claiming it was fighting the Soviets while feeding off Western backing. Israel now does the same with Iran. But Pretoria’s militarism only brought isolation, economic strain & accelerated collapse. 🧵>>>
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it's about gratitude. It reminds us how interconnected we are. Even in foreign policy, the suffering we cause elsewhere reshapes us at home. Gratitude brings us back to our better nature. Some thoughts ⬇️
dissidentforeignpolicy.com
On Thanksgiving & Gratitude
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it’s devoted to one simple, profound act: being grateful.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
"But nothing has stirred my soul quite like Persian – the language of mystics and lovers." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Out of all the languages I know, Persian is the one that speaks directly to my soul and offers a new way of being | Shadi Khan Saif
I’ve found metaphors that mirror my own journey, phrases that feel like home and poetry that speaks directly to the soul
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Drop Site @dropsitenews.com · 17/11/2025
⭕️ Newly shared footage from Tehran captures the aftermath of Israel’s strike on a packed intersection during the war in June:
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
New footage shows the aftermath of Israel’s strike on a busy traffic intersection near Tehran’s Tajrish Bazaar in the June war. Cars & surrounding infrastructure destroyed, streets flooded, many killed or injured, people trying help each other at the scene.
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Shervin Malekzadeh @swarthy-bastard.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Yes! Understand this, you’ll understand 99% more than many Iran “experts!”
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
“Eat grass before becoming a colony again.” The Polish Foreign Minister's line echoes across the world, from Iran and Taiwan to Latin America and Palestine. I wrote about the universal struggle to resist domination and the hard tradeoffs nations face 👇
dissidentforeignpolicy.com
Why Some Countries Fight So Hard to Stay Independent
Poland’s foreign minister has remarked that his country would “eat grass” before ever becoming a Russian colony again.
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David Rothkopf @djrothkopf.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
The new Epstein emails are the most incriminating evidence to date on Trump & Epstein & let's be clear, there has been plenty of incriminating evidence for many years. So, can we stop treating this like a process story and start focusing squarely on the likelihood Trump is a pedophile sex criminal.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Beware of narratives that serve to manufacture consent for another war, especially a new one against Lebanon or Iraq. Both are in the Netanyahu government's crosshairs, even as Israel’s military is worn down. They're hunting for another war & trying to drag the U.S. along.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
The fact that the NYT even entertains such an outlandish, agenda-driven accusation isn’t just bad journalism. It’s how establishment outlets police the boundaries of “acceptable” debate and manufacture controversy over positions & people they want to keep on the margins.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Centrist Dems aren’t built for moments like this. They rose in a politics designed to preserve status quo institutions of power, not challenge them. This is why they'll crumble even when "democracy" is on the line. Their instincts simply aren't fit for this Trump-era authoritarian moment.
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Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Iran’s postwar politics are in flux. Beneath the surface noise, one trend is unmistakable: Tehran is pivoting more decisively toward China, out of necessity. @sinatoossi.bsky.social foreignpolicy.com/2025/09/11/i...
foreignpolicy.com
Iran’s Foreign Policy Is Changing in Real Time
The debate in Tehran is heating up—and moving in unexpected directions.
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John Carl Baker @johncarlbaker.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Important analysis from @sinatoossi.bsky.social: “The lesson in Iran is that international law and institutions no longer matter, so Tehran must act on its own national interests.” thebulletin.org/2025/10/why-...
thebulletin.org
Why Europe's snapback gamble against Iran will backfire
European and US officials have said that diplomacy remains an option. But Europe's "snapback" of UN sanctions on Iran shrinks the possibility of successful diplomacy and fuels escalation.
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Center for International Policy @cipolicy.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Trump believes he can get more than a nuclear deal from Iran, but pressure will make Tehran stick to its guns and turn to China and Russia – @sinatoossi.bsky.social told @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
Trump’s Middle East ‘peace’ pitch to Iran falls flat in Tehran and Jerusalem
In a Knesset speech, Trump urged Israel to reconcile with its longtime foe Iran. Both governments dismissed the idea
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Robert Wright @robertwrighter.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
Very valuable @nonzeronews.bsky.social podcast conversation about this weekend's US-Iran talks between @sinatoossi.bsky.social and @connorechols.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwYz...
youtube.com
How Trump could strike a deal with Iran | NonZero World feat. Sina Toossi
YouTube video by Nonzero
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
I spoke to The Hill about the Trump-Iran talks set to begin. This could be a real opening — if both sides recognize that serious diplomacy, not threats or ultimatums, is the only viable path to avoid conflict.
thehill.com
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Trump blindsided Netanyahu by announcing high-level talks with Iran. It’s a rare opening for diplomacy—and the war camp is scrambling to shut it down. I've written in Mondoweiss on why the US must not waste this chance:
mondoweiss.net
Trump must continue to move toward Iran talks, even as Netanyahu tries to derail it
Donald Trump’s surprising announcement that talks are starting with Iran gives the White House a pivotal choice: follow pro-Israel hawks calling for a military confrontation with Iran, or chart a dipl...
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
🧵In a striking moment at the White House today, Trump told reporters that direct talks with Iran have begun—and will continue this Saturday. The implications could be huge. Here's why this matters and what could really be happening behind the scenes. >>>
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
“Forgive me, mother. I chose a path that was helping people.” He was a medic. Shot in the head by Israeli forces while saving lives. Buried in a mass grave. Israel tried to cover it up. But video found on his body proves the truth. Another atrocity in a genocidal war.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
🧵There’s no military solution to Iran’s nuclear program. Strikes might set it back a year—at best—but carry a high risk of pushing Iran to weaponize. Retaliation would also likely be fierce: Iran’s missiles and drones can overwhelm US & Israeli defenses. >>>
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
Trump has reportedly fired several NSC staffers for being too hawkish. Could Waltz be next? His call for a Libya-style dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program isn’t a path to a deal, it's a formula for making war inevitable.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
The US military buildup—2 carriers, B-2s to Diego Garcia—may signal strength, but it hasn’t even neutralized Houthi strikes. An attack on Iran would trigger wider conflict while likely failing to destroy Iran’s retaliatory capabilities. How credible is this threat, really?
axios.com
Trump seriously considering Iran's offer of indirect nuclear talks
But he's also flooding military assets to the region for plan b.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate! This joyous and festive arrives under a heavy shadow once again, as Palestinians endure unimaginable suffering at the hands of a brutal war machine.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
Trump wants a deal with Iran but many of his advisers are pushing war. Such a war would drain US resources, distract from domestic priorities & weaken America’s global leverage. Yet, there’s still a real path to a deal. I break it down in Responsible Statecraft:
responsiblestatecraft.org
The war over war with Iran has just begun
Trump says he wants a deal but stakeholders in and outside of his administration are pushing for conflict
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Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
Not sure if this has been shared here yet, but this is video of Rumeysa Ozturk's arrest posted by WCVB. It's terrifying.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
In this sharp piece, Hadi Kahalzadeh of Brandeis University explains how Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign backfired--hurting the US, hardening Iran’s ruling elite, and pushing Iran onto a path of “neither prosperity nor imminent collapse."
middleeasteye.net
Why Trump's return to 'maximum pressure' on Iran is doomed to fail again
The current administration's reimposition of sanctions, based on flawed assumptions about Iran's vulnerability, repeats past mistakes and won't undermine the regime
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
A compelling piece in the NYT calling for a new nuclear agreement with Iran that "should center on the same simple tenets: Iran pulling back its nuclear program from producing weapons-grade fissile material in exchange for relief from US sanctions."
nytimes.com
Opinion | Stop Iran’s Nuclear Threat With a Deal, Not Conflict
The Trump administration should back away from threats and engage Iran in an effort to bring a diplomatic halt to its nuclear weapons capability.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
Bernie Sanders and AOC are drawing massive crowds across the country with their #FightTheOligarchy tour. The energy is real. The message is clear. Most Americans want bold change, yet Democratic party leaders keep missing the moment, just like they did in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
In one day last week, Israel killed over 200 children in Gaza, the "largest child massacre in its history." In the past 18 months, Israel has killed over 14,500 children. This isn’t ancient barbarism. It's happening now, in plain sight, with the full backing of the US & Europe.
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Daniel Larison @daniellarison.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Like I said, these are wildly unrealistic, maximalist demands: daniellarison.substack.com/p/the-absurd...
daniellarison.substack.com
The Absurd Maximalism of U.S. Iran Policy
The new Trump administration is repeating the same mistakes that they made with North Korea in the first term.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
🚨Where do things stand between the US & Iran right now? Donald Trump recently sent a letter to Iran—via the UAE—asking for negotiations. But if the contents are as reported, we may be headed for a major collision course. Here's a breakdown >>>🧵
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
🧵So much of the Iran discourse in DC is dominated by opportunists with little understanding of the country. They peddle shallow takes, label advocates of diplomacy or sanctions relief as “pro-regime,” & push agendas to make war more likely--without ever owning the consequences.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
I spoke to The New Arab about how Iran is recalibrating after Assad’s fall. Tehran faces tough choices: try to rebuild influence in Syria—or exploit instability, as it has in past conflicts. But much depends on Syria’s stability and ties with Israel.
newarab.com
Borderline disorder: Is Iran destabilising post-Assad Syria?
Analysis: After a string of security incidents and sectarian killings, many have accused Iran of working to destabilise the new Syria. But reality is complex
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
I spoke to AFP about Trump’s foreign policy. Despite claiming to be a peacemaker, he treats diplomacy like real estate in The Art of the Deal: escalate tensions, push things to the brink, then strike a last-minute deal. It’s about narrative, not peace.
france24.com
Trump vows peace but faces hard realities as war rages
Donald Trump began his second term vowing to be a peacemaker.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Happy #Nowruz! Today marks the arrival of spring and the ancient Persian New Year, celebrated for millennia across Iran, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. May this new year bring everyone renewal, joy, and peace. عید همگی مبارک🌺
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
The thing about taking political prisoners is that you often inadvertently forge leaders for a movement. Mahmoud Khalil’s letter is a testament to that. It echoes the defiant words of MLK from jail, of Iranian prisoners who turned their cells into podiums. And countless others.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
On Trump's threats against Iran: bringing the situation to the brink of war does not necessarily mean entering it. We saw in his first term how he bluffs “fire & fury” only to back down & seek a deal. Yet, in such volatile times, brinkmanship can easily spiral out of control.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
🧵The slaughter of hundreds of innocent children, women, and civilians in Gaza was the price for the fanatical Ben-Gvir’s return to Netanyahu’s government. A desperate bid to keep his grip on power and push through a budget before the end of March. >>>
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Censorship and repression are unsustainable. They signal desperation & inevitably backfire. Anyone who knows modern Iran understands this. What’s happening to #MahmoudKhalil & American student activists will have the opposite effect of what pro-Israeli government forces intend.
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Sina Toossi @sinatoossi.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Israel’s Maariv newspaper: “While the public is exhausted by war, Netanyahu is quietly building a dictatorship.” So in America will we be allowed to quote Israelis criticizing their own government, or will that be repressed too? www.maariv.co.il/journalists/...
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Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Chuck Schumer suggests it is antisemitic to say what Israel is doing in Gaza is a genocide. Yet some of Israel’s own top scholars of genocide and the Holocaust, all of them Jewish - Omer Bartov, Amos Goldberg, Daniel Blatman - say it is a genocide in Gaza. Does Schumer consider them antisemite too?
nytimes.com
‘The Interview’: Chuck Schumer on Democrats, Antisemitism and His Shutdown Retreat
The Senate minority leader discusses the backlash to his vote on the Republican spending bill, how he sees his role within the party and his new book.
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