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Professor Seyed Marandi to Americans: “I Hope Sincerely that Cooler Heads Prevail.”

Posted by Jerry Alatalo | April 29, 2026

[Editor’s note: What follows is a partial transcript, followed by the video of Iranian Professor Seyed Marandi’s full powerful, timely public statement. Please share this information far and wide, and, – most especially, if you reside in the United States, share this important information with your fellow Americans. Feel free to share your thoughts and/or responses in the comments. Thank you very much. Peace.]

***

TRANSCRIPT

I want to say something about the human cost here because I think it is important not to lose sight of this in the geopolitical analysis. Over 3,300 Iranians were killed in this conflict.

Among them were 168 young girls.

Scientists were killed alongside their families. Military commanders were killed alongside their families. The Americans and the Israelis struck civilian infrastructure. They struck populated areas. They used a kind of firepower that is designed to maximize destruction. Now look at the other side.

Iran fired thousands of missiles and drones at the military and energy infrastructure of these Gulf states that facilitated the attacks on Iran. And the total number of civilian casualties in Kuwait, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar combined is fewer than 20 people. Fewer than 20. You can go and verify this yourself. This is not Iranian television telling you this.

Look it up on any search engine. The disparity in civilian casualties tells you something very important about how these two sides are conducting this conflict. Now, I need to talk about what comes next because this is why this matters to everyone watching this video, not just to people in the region.

Trump has said he may restart military operations within days. His stated intention, if the conflict resumes, is to strike Iranian electrical power generation facilities. I want you to think carefully about what that means. If the Americans strike Iranian power plants, Iran will strike the power plants of the countries that provided their territory and airspace for these attacks.

I am talking about the Gulf States. These are desert countries. They have almost no natural fresh water. They have no agriculture of any significance. Their populations survive because of electricity. Electricity runs their desalination plants. Electricity runs their air conditioning.

In a few weeks, the summer heat in the Persian Gulf will be extreme. We are talking about temperatures that are genuinely life, threatening without climate control. If the power goes out, these countries cannot function. People will have to leave. These states will effectively collapse.

Iran is in a very different situation. Iran has the Albors mountain range running east to west across the north of the country. It has the Zagros mountain range running north to south along the west. Iran has forests. Iran has lakes. Iran has agriculture that covers roughly 90% of domestic food needs. Iran has borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. It has access to the Caspian Sea, which connects it to Russia and Central Asia.

[Editor: Alborz Mountains, major mountain range in northern Iran, 560 miles (900 km) long, which serves as a defining landmark both geographically and in Iranian culture. (Britannica.com) The Zagros Mountains are a major mountain range in West Asia, extending approximately 1,600 kilometers across Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. They are known for their geological significance, rich biodiversity, and as a natural barrier that has historically protected various cultures.(Wikipedia)]

Iran has lived under sanctions for decades. It knows how to survive under pressure. The Gulf States do not have this experience. They cannot survive the same level of disruption. And this brings me back to the fundamental question of who can outlast whom.

This is a war of survival for Iran. Every Iranian understands what is at stake. When your country is under attack, when your people are being killed, when your cities are being bombed, you fight. You endure. You find ways to survive that an outside observer might not expect.

For the United States, this is a war of choice. [Editor: Bold added) A war being fought thousands of miles from American territory for reasons that most ordinary Americans do not fully understand at a cost in weapons and money and international reputation that is already becoming very significant.

Iran has not started a war in over 300 years. Since the revolution, three wars have been imposed on Iran. The 8-year war with Iraq, where Saddam Hussein was encouraged, armed, and financed by the West and by these very same Gulf states.

I personally survived two chemical weapons attacks during that war. Those chemical weapons were supplied by Western companies. They were funded by Gulf money. And then this war, Iran did not start any of these conflicts. But Iran survived all of them. So here’s where we are. Trump has a decision to make within days. He can restart military operations. If he does, the Iranians are ready. They have been preparing since the ceasefire began.

They know that Trump has violated agreements before. They are not going to be caught off guard. The underground bases that were never used during the first round of fighting will begin to be used. Production facilities that have been running throughout the ceasefire will provide a continuous supply of munitions and the straight of hormones will remain closed to the countries that facilitated this war.

Or Trump can honor the ceasefire he agreed to. He can lift the siege. He can give Iran what was promised under the agreement and then genuine negotiations can begin on a comprehensive deal that addresses the nuclear question, addresses regional security and gives everyone an off ramp from a crisis that is already beginning to destabilize the global economy in ways that will affect ordinary people everywhere.

The second option was available to Trump several times already. After the ceasefire, when Iran announced it was opening the Strait, that was his off ramp. He could have said, “I lifted the siege. Iran opened the straight. I won. This is a great deal. The best deal anyone has ever made.” He could have said this and walked away with something he could present as a victory. Instead, he escalated. He maintained the siege. And the crisis deepened.

I am not optimistic that he will make the right choice this time. Not because I think Trump is irrational in the way people sometimes say, but because the people around him are feeding him a version of reality that does not match what is actually on the ground. They told him Iran would collapse under military pressure. It did not. They told him the Iranian military would be quickly degraded. It was not. They are now telling him that a few more days of pressure will bring Iran to the table on American terms. I do not believe this is correct.

The Iranians are not going to negotiate under the threat of renewed bombardment. They are not going to make concessions that compromise their national security and their sovereignty because someone in Washington sets a deadline. This is not how Iran works. This is not how any country with real institutional depth and genuine popular support for its resistance works.

What I hope is that there are people in the American system, in the State Department, perhaps in the military establishment, perhaps even in the White House who understand the real situation on the ground and who are telling the president this path does not lead where you think it leads.

Because the alternative to diplomacy here is not a quick military victory. The alternative is a longer conflict with unpredictable escalation, a global energy crisis that will hit the American economy hard and a strategic realignment in the Persian Gulf that will take a generation to undo.

The world is watching. The people of Iran are watching. The people of the region are watching. And they are all wondering whether the United States is capable of making a rational decision when the pressure is on. I genuinely do not know the answer to that question, but I know that the next few days will tell us a great deal about where this situation is heading.

And I hope sincerely that cooler heads prevail because the alternative is something that nobody who has seen war up close, nobody who has survived a chemical attack, nobody who has watched families buried under rubble, would ever wish for anyone.

https://youtu.be/LjDWHtCKH3M?si=RMeEoWYLZI_4yra1

Professor Seyed Marandi to Americans: “I Hope Sincerely that Cooler Heads Prevail.”

Posted by Jerry Alatalo | April 29, 2026

[Editor’s note: What follows is a partial transcript, followed by the video of Iranian Professor Seyed Marandi’s full powerful, timely public statement. Please share this information far and wide, and, – most especially, if you reside in the United States, share this important information with your fellow Americans. Feel free to share your thoughts and/or responses in the comments. Thank you very much. Peace.]

***

TRANSCRIPT

I want to say something about the human cost here because I think it is important not to lose sight of this in the geopolitical analysis. Over 3,300 Iranians were killed in this conflict.

Among them were 168 young girls.

Scientists were killed alongside their families. Military commanders were killed alongside their families. The Americans and the Israelis struck civilian infrastructure. They struck populated areas. They used a kind of firepower that is designed to maximize destruction. Now look at the other side.

Iran fired thousands of missiles and drones at the military and energy infrastructure of these Gulf states that facilitated the attacks on Iran. And the total number of civilian casualties in Kuwait, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar combined is fewer than 20 people. Fewer than 20. You can go and verify this yourself. This is not Iranian television telling you this.

Look it up on any search engine. The disparity in civilian casualties tells you something very important about how these two sides are conducting this conflict. Now, I need to talk about what comes next because this is why this matters to everyone watching this video, not just to people in the region.

Trump has said he may restart military operations within days. His stated intention, if the conflict resumes, is to strike Iranian electrical power generation facilities. I want you to think carefully about what that means. If the Americans strike Iranian power plants, Iran will strike the power plants of the countries that provided their territory and airspace for these attacks.

I am talking about the Gulf States. These are desert countries. They have almost no natural fresh water. They have no agriculture of any significance. Their populations survive because of electricity. Electricity runs their desalination plants. Electricity runs their air conditioning.

In a few weeks, the summer heat in the Persian Gulf will be extreme. We are talking about temperatures that are genuinely life, threatening without climate control. If the power goes out, these countries cannot function. People will have to leave. These states will effectively collapse.

Iran is in a very different situation. Iran has the Albors mountain range running east to west across the north of the country. It has the Zagros mountain range running north to south along the west. Iran has forests. Iran has lakes. Iran has agriculture that covers roughly 90% of domestic food needs. Iran has borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. It has access to the Caspian Sea, which connects it to Russia and Central Asia.

[Editor: Alborz Mountains, major mountain range in northern Iran, 560 miles (900 km) long, which serves as a defining landmark both geographically and in Iranian culture. (Britannica.com) The Zagros Mountains are a major mountain range in West Asia, extending approximately 1,600 kilometers across Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. They are known for their geological significance, rich biodiversity, and as a natural barrier that has historically protected various cultures.(Wikipedia)]

Iran has lived under sanctions for decades. It knows how to survive under pressure. The Gulf States do not have this experience. They cannot survive the same level of disruption. And this brings me back to the fundamental question of who can outlast whom.

This is a war of survival for Iran. Every Iranian understands what is at stake. When your country is under attack, when your people are being killed, when your cities are being bombed, you fight. You endure. You find ways to survive that an outside observer might not expect.

For the United States, this is a war of choice. [Editor: Bold added) A war being fought thousands of miles from American territory for reasons that most ordinary Americans do not fully understand at a cost in weapons and money and international reputation that is already becoming very significant.

Iran has not started a war in over 300 years. Since the revolution, three wars have been imposed on Iran. The 8-year war with Iraq, where Saddam Hussein was encouraged, armed, and financed by the West and by these very same Gulf states.

I personally survived two chemical weapons attacks during that war. Those chemical weapons were supplied by Western companies. They were funded by Gulf money. And then this war, Iran did not start any of these conflicts. But Iran survived all of them. So here’s where we are. Trump has a decision to make within days. He can restart military operations. If he does, the Iranians are ready. They have been preparing since the ceasefire began.

They know that Trump has violated agreements before. They are not going to be caught off guard. The underground bases that were never used during the first round of fighting will begin to be used. Production facilities that have been running throughout the ceasefire will provide a continuous supply of munitions and the straight of hormones will remain closed to the countries that facilitated this war.

Or Trump can honor the ceasefire he agreed to. He can lift the siege. He can give Iran what was promised under the agreement and then genuine negotiations can begin on a comprehensive deal that addresses the nuclear question, addresses regional security and gives everyone an off ramp from a crisis that is already beginning to destabilize the global economy in ways that will affect ordinary people everywhere.

The second option was available to Trump several times already. After the ceasefire, when Iran announced it was opening the Strait, that was his off ramp. He could have said, “I lifted the siege. Iran opened the straight. I won. This is a great deal. The best deal anyone has ever made.” He could have said this and walked away with something he could present as a victory. Instead, he escalated. He maintained the siege. And the crisis deepened.

I am not optimistic that he will make the right choice this time. Not because I think Trump is irrational in the way people sometimes say, but because the people around him are feeding him a version of reality that does not match what is actually on the ground. They told him Iran would collapse under military pressure. It did not. They told him the Iranian military would be quickly degraded. It was not. They are now telling him that a few more days of pressure will bring Iran to the table on American terms. I do not believe this is correct.

The Iranians are not going to negotiate under the threat of renewed bombardment. They are not going to make concessions that compromise their national security and their sovereignty because someone in Washington sets a deadline. This is not how Iran works. This is not how any country with real institutional depth and genuine popular support for its resistance works.

What I hope is that there are people in the American system, in the State Department, perhaps in the military establishment, perhaps even in the White House who understand the real situation on the ground and who are telling the president this path does not lead where you think it leads.

Because the alternative to diplomacy here is not a quick military victory. The alternative is a longer conflict with unpredictable escalation, a global energy crisis that will hit the American economy hard and a strategic realignment in the Persian Gulf that will take a generation to undo.

The world is watching. The people of Iran are watching. The people of the region are watching. And they are all wondering whether the United States is capable of making a rational decision when the pressure is on. I genuinely do not know the answer to that question, but I know that the next few days will tell us a great deal about where this situation is heading.

And I hope sincerely that cooler heads prevail because the alternative is something that nobody who has seen war up close, nobody who has survived a chemical attack, nobody who has watched families buried under rubble, would ever wish for anyone.

https://youtu.be/LjDWHtCKH3M?si=RMeEoWYLZI_4yra1

Professor Seyed Marandi to Americans: “I Hope Sincerely that Cooler Heads Prevail.”

Posted by Jerry Alatalo | April 29, 2026

[Editor’s note: What follows is a partial transcript, followed by the video of Iranian Professor Seyed Marandi’s full powerful, timely public statement. Please share this information far and wide, and, – most especially, if you reside in the United States, share this important information with your fellow Americans. Feel free to share your thoughts and/or responses in the comments. Thank you very much. Peace.]

***

TRANSCRIPT

I want to say something about the human cost here because I think it is important not to lose sight of this in the geopolitical analysis. Over 3,300 Iranians were killed in this conflict.

Among them were 168 young girls.

Scientists were killed alongside their families. Military commanders were killed alongside their families. The Americans and the Israelis struck civilian infrastructure. They struck populated areas. They used a kind of firepower that is designed to maximize destruction. Now look at the other side.

Iran fired thousands of missiles and drones at the military and energy infrastructure of these Gulf states that facilitated the attacks on Iran. And the total number of civilian casualties in Kuwait, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar combined is fewer than 20 people. Fewer than 20. You can go and verify this yourself. This is not Iranian television telling you this.

Look it up on any search engine. The disparity in civilian casualties tells you something very important about how these two sides are conducting this conflict. Now, I need to talk about what comes next because this is why this matters to everyone watching this video, not just to people in the region.

Trump has said he may restart military operations within days. His stated intention, if the conflict resumes, is to strike Iranian electrical power generation facilities. I want you to think carefully about what that means. If the Americans strike Iranian power plants, Iran will strike the power plants of the countries that provided their territory and airspace for these attacks.

I am talking about the Gulf States. These are desert countries. They have almost no natural fresh water. They have no agriculture of any significance. Their populations survive because of electricity. Electricity runs their desalination plants. Electricity runs their air conditioning.

In a few weeks, the summer heat in the Persian Gulf will be extreme. We are talking about temperatures that are genuinely life, threatening without climate control. If the power goes out, these countries cannot function. People will have to leave. These states will effectively collapse.

Iran is in a very different situation. Iran has the Albors mountain range running east to west across the north of the country. It has the Zagros mountain range running north to south along the west. Iran has forests. Iran has lakes. Iran has agriculture that covers roughly 90% of domestic food needs. Iran has borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. It has access to the Caspian Sea, which connects it to Russia and Central Asia.

[Editor: Alborz Mountains, major mountain range in northern Iran, 560 miles (900 km) long, which serves as a defining landmark both geographically and in Iranian culture. (Britannica.com) The Zagros Mountains are a major mountain range in West Asia, extending approximately 1,600 kilometers across Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. They are known for their geological significance, rich biodiversity, and as a natural barrier that has historically protected various cultures.(Wikipedia)]

Iran has lived under sanctions for decades. It knows how to survive under pressure. The Gulf States do not have this experience. They cannot survive the same level of disruption. And this brings me back to the fundamental question of who can outlast whom.

This is a war of survival for Iran. Every Iranian understands what is at stake. When your country is under attack, when your people are being killed, when your cities are being bombed, you fight. You endure. You find ways to survive that an outside observer might not expect.

For the United States, this is a war of choice. [Editor: Bold added) A war being fought thousands of miles from American territory for reasons that most ordinary Americans do not fully understand at a cost in weapons and money and international reputation that is already becoming very significant.

Iran has not started a war in over 300 years. Since the revolution, three wars have been imposed on Iran. The 8-year war with Iraq, where Saddam Hussein was encouraged, armed, and financed by the West and by these very same Gulf states.

I personally survived two chemical weapons attacks during that war. Those chemical weapons were supplied by Western companies. They were funded by Gulf money. And then this war, Iran did not start any of these conflicts. But Iran survived all of them. So here’s where we are. Trump has a decision to make within days. He can restart military operations. If he does, the Iranians are ready. They have been preparing since the ceasefire began.

They know that Trump has violated agreements before. They are not going to be caught off guard. The underground bases that were never used during the first round of fighting will begin to be used. Production facilities that have been running throughout the ceasefire will provide a continuous supply of munitions and the straight of hormones will remain closed to the countries that facilitated this war.

Or Trump can honor the ceasefire he agreed to. He can lift the siege. He can give Iran what was promised under the agreement and then genuine negotiations can begin on a comprehensive deal that addresses the nuclear question, addresses regional security and gives everyone an off ramp from a crisis that is already beginning to destabilize the global economy in ways that will affect ordinary people everywhere.

The second option was available to Trump several times already. After the ceasefire, when Iran announced it was opening the Strait, that was his off ramp. He could have said, “I lifted the siege. Iran opened the straight. I won. This is a great deal. The best deal anyone has ever made.” He could have said this and walked away with something he could present as a victory. Instead, he escalated. He maintained the siege. And the crisis deepened.

I am not optimistic that he will make the right choice this time. Not because I think Trump is irrational in the way people sometimes say, but because the people around him are feeding him a version of reality that does not match what is actually on the ground. They told him Iran would collapse under military pressure. It did not. They told him the Iranian military would be quickly degraded. It was not. They are now telling him that a few more days of pressure will bring Iran to the table on American terms. I do not believe this is correct.

The Iranians are not going to negotiate under the threat of renewed bombardment. They are not going to make concessions that compromise their national security and their sovereignty because someone in Washington sets a deadline. This is not how Iran works. This is not how any country with real institutional depth and genuine popular support for its resistance works.

What I hope is that there are people in the American system, in the State Department, perhaps in the military establishment, perhaps even in the White House who understand the real situation on the ground and who are telling the president this path does not lead where you think it leads.

Because the alternative to diplomacy here is not a quick military victory. The alternative is a longer conflict with unpredictable escalation, a global energy crisis that will hit the American economy hard and a strategic realignment in the Persian Gulf that will take a generation to undo.

The world is watching. The people of Iran are watching. The people of the region are watching. And they are all wondering whether the United States is capable of making a rational decision when the pressure is on. I genuinely do not know the answer to that question, but I know that the next few days will tell us a great deal about where this situation is heading.

And I hope sincerely that cooler heads prevail because the alternative is something that nobody who has seen war up close, nobody who has survived a chemical attack, nobody who has watched families buried under rubble, would ever wish for anyone.

https://youtu.be/LjDWHtCKH3M?si=RMeEoWYLZI_4yra1

Professor Seyed Marandi to Americans: “I Hope Sincerely that Cooler Heads Prevail.”

Posted by Jerry Alatalo | April 29, 2026

[Editor’s note: What follows is a partial transcript, followed by the video of Iranian Professor Seyed Marandi’s full powerful, timely public statement. Please share this information far and wide, and, – most especially, if you reside in the United States, share this important information with your fellow Americans. Feel free to share your thoughts and/or responses in the comments. Thank you very much. Peace.]

***

TRANSCRIPT

I want to say something about the human cost here because I think it is important not to lose sight of this in the geopolitical analysis. Over 3,300 Iranians were killed in this conflict.

Among them were 168 young girls.

Scientists were killed alongside their families. Military commanders were killed alongside their families. The Americans and the Israelis struck civilian infrastructure. They struck populated areas. They used a kind of firepower that is designed to maximize destruction. Now look at the other side.

Iran fired thousands of missiles and drones at the military and energy infrastructure of these Gulf states that facilitated the attacks on Iran. And the total number of civilian casualties in Kuwait, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar combined is fewer than 20 people. Fewer than 20. You can go and verify this yourself. This is not Iranian television telling you this.

Look it up on any search engine. The disparity in civilian casualties tells you something very important about how these two sides are conducting this conflict. Now, I need to talk about what comes next because this is why this matters to everyone watching this video, not just to people in the region.

Trump has said he may restart military operations within days. His stated intention, if the conflict resumes, is to strike Iranian electrical power generation facilities. I want you to think carefully about what that means. If the Americans strike Iranian power plants, Iran will strike the power plants of the countries that provided their territory and airspace for these attacks.

I am talking about the Gulf States. These are desert countries. They have almost no natural fresh water. They have no agriculture of any significance. Their populations survive because of electricity. Electricity runs their desalination plants. Electricity runs their air conditioning.

In a few weeks, the summer heat in the Persian Gulf will be extreme. We are talking about temperatures that are genuinely life, threatening without climate control. If the power goes out, these countries cannot function. People will have to leave. These states will effectively collapse.

Iran is in a very different situation. Iran has the Albors mountain range running east to west across the north of the country. It has the Zagros mountain range running north to south along the west. Iran has forests. Iran has lakes. Iran has agriculture that covers roughly 90% of domestic food needs. Iran has borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. It has access to the Caspian Sea, which connects it to Russia and Central Asia.

[Editor: Alborz Mountains, major mountain range in northern Iran, 560 miles (900 km) long, which serves as a defining landmark both geographically and in Iranian culture. (Britannica.com) The Zagros Mountains are a major mountain range in West Asia, extending approximately 1,600 kilometers across Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. They are known for their geological significance, rich biodiversity, and as a natural barrier that has historically protected various cultures.(Wikipedia)]

Iran has lived under sanctions for decades. It knows how to survive under pressure. The Gulf States do not have this experience. They cannot survive the same level of disruption. And this brings me back to the fundamental question of who can outlast whom.

This is a war of survival for Iran. Every Iranian understands what is at stake. When your country is under attack, when your people are being killed, when your cities are being bombed, you fight. You endure. You find ways to survive that an outside observer might not expect.

For the United States, this is a war of choice. [Editor: Bold added) A war being fought thousands of miles from American territory for reasons that most ordinary Americans do not fully understand at a cost in weapons and money and international reputation that is already becoming very significant.

Iran has not started a war in over 300 years. Since the revolution, three wars have been imposed on Iran. The 8-year war with Iraq, where Saddam Hussein was encouraged, armed, and financed by the West and by these very same Gulf states.

I personally survived two chemical weapons attacks during that war. Those chemical weapons were supplied by Western companies. They were funded by Gulf money. And then this war, Iran did not start any of these conflicts. But Iran survived all of them. So here’s where we are. Trump has a decision to make within days. He can restart military operations. If he does, the Iranians are ready. They have been preparing since the ceasefire began.

They know that Trump has violated agreements before. They are not going to be caught off guard. The underground bases that were never used during the first round of fighting will begin to be used. Production facilities that have been running throughout the ceasefire will provide a continuous supply of munitions and the straight of hormones will remain closed to the countries that facilitated this war.

Or Trump can honor the ceasefire he agreed to. He can lift the siege. He can give Iran what was promised under the agreement and then genuine negotiations can begin on a comprehensive deal that addresses the nuclear question, addresses regional security and gives everyone an off ramp from a crisis that is already beginning to destabilize the global economy in ways that will affect ordinary people everywhere.

The second option was available to Trump several times already. After the ceasefire, when Iran announced it was opening the Strait, that was his off ramp. He could have said, “I lifted the siege. Iran opened the straight. I won. This is a great deal. The best deal anyone has ever made.” He could have said this and walked away with something he could present as a victory. Instead, he escalated. He maintained the siege. And the crisis deepened.

I am not optimistic that he will make the right choice this time. Not because I think Trump is irrational in the way people sometimes say, but because the people around him are feeding him a version of reality that does not match what is actually on the ground. They told him Iran would collapse under military pressure. It did not. They told him the Iranian military would be quickly degraded. It was not. They are now telling him that a few more days of pressure will bring Iran to the table on American terms. I do not believe this is correct.

The Iranians are not going to negotiate under the threat of renewed bombardment. They are not going to make concessions that compromise their national security and their sovereignty because someone in Washington sets a deadline. This is not how Iran works. This is not how any country with real institutional depth and genuine popular support for its resistance works.

What I hope is that there are people in the American system, in the State Department, perhaps in the military establishment, perhaps even in the White House who understand the real situation on the ground and who are telling the president this path does not lead where you think it leads.

Because the alternative to diplomacy here is not a quick military victory. The alternative is a longer conflict with unpredictable escalation, a global energy crisis that will hit the American economy hard and a strategic realignment in the Persian Gulf that will take a generation to undo.

The world is watching. The people of Iran are watching. The people of the region are watching. And they are all wondering whether the United States is capable of making a rational decision when the pressure is on. I genuinely do not know the answer to that question, but I know that the next few days will tell us a great deal about where this situation is heading.

And I hope sincerely that cooler heads prevail because the alternative is something that nobody who has seen war up close, nobody who has survived a chemical attack, nobody who has watched families buried under rubble, would ever wish for anyone.

https://youtu.be/LjDWHtCKH3M?si=RMeEoWYLZI_4yra1

Professor Seyed Marandi to Americans: “I Hope Sincerely that Cooler Heads Prevail.”

Posted by Jerry Alatalo | April 29, 2026

[Editor’s note: What follows is a partial transcript, followed by the video of Iranian Professor Seyed Marandi’s full powerful, timely public statement. Please share this information far and wide, and, – most especially, if you reside in the United States, share this important information with your fellow Americans. Feel free to share your thoughts and/or responses in the comments. Thank you very much. Peace.]

***

TRANSCRIPT

I want to say something about the human cost here because I think it is important not to lose sight of this in the geopolitical analysis. Over 3,300 Iranians were killed in this conflict.

Among them were 168 young girls.

Scientists were killed alongside their families. Military commanders were killed alongside their families. The Americans and the Israelis struck civilian infrastructure. They struck populated areas. They used a kind of firepower that is designed to maximize destruction. Now look at the other side.

Iran fired thousands of missiles and drones at the military and energy infrastructure of these Gulf states that facilitated the attacks on Iran. And the total number of civilian casualties in Kuwait, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar combined is fewer than 20 people. Fewer than 20. You can go and verify this yourself. This is not Iranian television telling you this.

Look it up on any search engine. The disparity in civilian casualties tells you something very important about how these two sides are conducting this conflict. Now, I need to talk about what comes next because this is why this matters to everyone watching this video, not just to people in the region.

Trump has said he may restart military operations within days. His stated intention, if the conflict resumes, is to strike Iranian electrical power generation facilities. I want you to think carefully about what that means. If the Americans strike Iranian power plants, Iran will strike the power plants of the countries that provided their territory and airspace for these attacks.

I am talking about the Gulf States. These are desert countries. They have almost no natural fresh water. They have no agriculture of any significance. Their populations survive because of electricity. Electricity runs their desalination plants. Electricity runs their air conditioning.

In a few weeks, the summer heat in the Persian Gulf will be extreme. We are talking about temperatures that are genuinely life, threatening without climate control. If the power goes out, these countries cannot function. People will have to leave. These states will effectively collapse.

Iran is in a very different situation. Iran has the Albors mountain range running east to west across the north of the country. It has the Zagros mountain range running north to south along the west. Iran has forests. Iran has lakes. Iran has agriculture that covers roughly 90% of domestic food needs. Iran has borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. It has access to the Caspian Sea, which connects it to Russia and Central Asia.

[Editor: Alborz Mountains, major mountain range in northern Iran, 560 miles (900 km) long, which serves as a defining landmark both geographically and in Iranian culture. (Britannica.com) The Zagros Mountains are a major mountain range in West Asia, extending approximately 1,600 kilometers across Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. They are known for their geological significance, rich biodiversity, and as a natural barrier that has historically protected various cultures.(Wikipedia)]

Iran has lived under sanctions for decades. It knows how to survive under pressure. The Gulf States do not have this experience. They cannot survive the same level of disruption. And this brings me back to the fundamental question of who can outlast whom.

This is a war of survival for Iran. Every Iranian understands what is at stake. When your country is under attack, when your people are being killed, when your cities are being bombed, you fight. You endure. You find ways to survive that an outside observer might not expect.

For the United States, this is a war of choice. [Editor: Bold added) A war being fought thousands of miles from American territory for reasons that most ordinary Americans do not fully understand at a cost in weapons and money and international reputation that is already becoming very significant.

Iran has not started a war in over 300 years. Since the revolution, three wars have been imposed on Iran. The 8-year war with Iraq, where Saddam Hussein was encouraged, armed, and financed by the West and by these very same Gulf states.

I personally survived two chemical weapons attacks during that war. Those chemical weapons were supplied by Western companies. They were funded by Gulf money. And then this war, Iran did not start any of these conflicts. But Iran survived all of them. So here’s where we are. Trump has a decision to make within days. He can restart military operations. If he does, the Iranians are ready. They have been preparing since the ceasefire began.

They know that Trump has violated agreements before. They are not going to be caught off guard. The underground bases that were never used during the first round of fighting will begin to be used. Production facilities that have been running throughout the ceasefire will provide a continuous supply of munitions and the straight of hormones will remain closed to the countries that facilitated this war.

Or Trump can honor the ceasefire he agreed to. He can lift the siege. He can give Iran what was promised under the agreement and then genuine negotiations can begin on a comprehensive deal that addresses the nuclear question, addresses regional security and gives everyone an off ramp from a crisis that is already beginning to destabilize the global economy in ways that will affect ordinary people everywhere.

The second option was available to Trump several times already. After the ceasefire, when Iran announced it was opening the Strait, that was his off ramp. He could have said, “I lifted the siege. Iran opened the straight. I won. This is a great deal. The best deal anyone has ever made.” He could have said this and walked away with something he could present as a victory. Instead, he escalated. He maintained the siege. And the crisis deepened.

I am not optimistic that he will make the right choice this time. Not because I think Trump is irrational in the way people sometimes say, but because the people around him are feeding him a version of reality that does not match what is actually on the ground. They told him Iran would collapse under military pressure. It did not. They told him the Iranian military would be quickly degraded. It was not. They are now telling him that a few more days of pressure will bring Iran to the table on American terms. I do not believe this is correct.

The Iranians are not going to negotiate under the threat of renewed bombardment. They are not going to make concessions that compromise their national security and their sovereignty because someone in Washington sets a deadline. This is not how Iran works. This is not how any country with real institutional depth and genuine popular support for its resistance works.

What I hope is that there are people in the American system, in the State Department, perhaps in the military establishment, perhaps even in the White House who understand the real situation on the ground and who are telling the president this path does not lead where you think it leads.

Because the alternative to diplomacy here is not a quick military victory. The alternative is a longer conflict with unpredictable escalation, a global energy crisis that will hit the American economy hard and a strategic realignment in the Persian Gulf that will take a generation to undo.

The world is watching. The people of Iran are watching. The people of the region are watching. And they are all wondering whether the United States is capable of making a rational decision when the pressure is on. I genuinely do not know the answer to that question, but I know that the next few days will tell us a great deal about where this situation is heading.

And I hope sincerely that cooler heads prevail because the alternative is something that nobody who has seen war up close, nobody who has survived a chemical attack, nobody who has watched families buried under rubble, would ever wish for anyone.

https://youtu.be/LjDWHtCKH3M?si=RMeEoWYLZI_4yra1

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War in Iran shows no signs of slowing down, and its damage may be felt for years to come

Five weeks after the US and Israel launched a major air offensive against Iran, the “third Gulf war”…
#NewsBeep #News #BreakingNews #breakingnews #energyfacilities #globalenergymarkets #globalmarkets #Iran #Israel #MasoudPezeshkian #PresidentTrump #StraitofHormuz #supremeleaderalikhamenei #Tehran
https://www.newsbeep.com/468236/

Masoud Pezeshkian: Open Letter to the American People.

Posted by Jerry Alatalo | April 2, 2026

[Editor’s note: Hat tip goes to “fustyducker”, who posted the extraordinary, remarkable letter of Masoud Pezeshkian to the American people in comments at Sonar21.com (Larry C. Johnson). Please share the Pezeshkian letter with your fellow Americans. Please feel free to share your response/thoughts in the comments. Thank you very much. Peace.]

*

(Thank you, “fustyducker”)

fustyducker

8 hours ago

Prior to Trump’s address, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian released an open letter addressed to the American people, as Iran continues to respond to ongoing US-Israeli aggression. The full text of the letter:

(Image: Britannica.com)

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

To the people of the United States of America, and to all those who, amid a flood of distortions and manufactured narratives, continue to seek the truth and aspire to a better life:

Iran—by this very name, character, and identity—is one of the oldest continuous civilizations in human history. Despite its historical and geographical advantages at various times, Iran has never, in its modern history, chosen the path of aggression, expansion, colonialism, or domination. Even after enduring occupation, invasion, and sustained pressure from global powers—and despite possessing military superiority over many of its neighbors—Iran has never initiated a war. Yet it has resolutely and bravely repelled those who have attacked it.

The Iranian people harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighboring countries. Even in the face of repeated foreign interventions and pressures throughout their proud history, Iranians have consistently drawn a clear distinction between governments and the peoples they govern. This is a deeply rooted principle in Iranian culture and collective consciousness—not a temporary political stance.

For this reason, portraying Iran as a threat is neither consistent with historical reality nor with present-day observable facts. Such a perception is the product of political and economic whims of the powerful—the need to manufacture an enemy in order to justify pressure, maintain military dominance, sustain the arms industry, and control strategic markets. In such an environment, if a threat does not exist, it is invented.

Within this same framework, the United States has concentrated the largest number of its forces, bases, and military capabilities around Iran—a country that, at least since the founding of the United States, has never initiated a war. Recent American aggressions launched from these very bases have demonstrated how threatening such a military presence truly is. Naturally, no country confronted with such conditions would forgo strengthening its defensive capabilities. What Iran has done—and continues to do—is a measured response grounded in legitimate self-defense, and by no means an initiation of war or aggression.

Relations between Iran and the United States were not originally hostile, and early interactions between the Iranian and American people were not marred with hostility or coup d’état—an illegal American 1953 tension. The turning point, however, was the intervention aimed at preventing the nationalization of Iran’s own resources.

That coup disrupted Iran’s democratic process, reinstated dictatorship, and sowed deep distrust among Iranians toward U.S. policies. This distrust deepened further with America’s support for the Shah’s regime, its backing of Saddam Hussein during the imposed war of 1980s, the imposition of the longest and most comprehensive sanctions in modern history, and ultimately, unprovoked military aggression—twice, in the midst of negotiations—against Iran.

Yet all these pressures have failed to weaken Iran. On the contrary, the country has grown stronger in many areas: literacy rates have tripled; higher education has expanded dramatically; significant advances have been achieved in modern technology; healthcare services have improved; and infrastructure has developed at a pace and scale incomparable to the past. These are measurable, observable realities that stand independent of fabricated narratives.

At the same time, the destructive and inhumane impact of sanctions, war, and aggression on the lives of the resilient Iranian people must not be underestimated. The continuation of military aggression and recent bombings profoundly affect people’s lives, attitudes, and perspectives. This reflects a fundamental human truth: when war inflicts irreparable harm on lives, homes, cities, and futures, people will not remain indifferent toward those responsible.

This raises a fundamental question: Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war? Was there any objective threat from Iran to justify such behavior? Does the massacre of innocent children, the destruction of cancer-treatment pharmaceutical facilities, or boasting about bombing a country “back to the stone ages” serve any purpose other than further damaging the United States’ global standing?

Iran pursued negotiations, reached an agreement, and fulfilled all its commitments. The decision to withdraw from that agreement, escalate toward confrontation, and launch two acts of aggression in the midst of negotiations were destructive choices made by the U.S. government—choices that served the delusions of a foreign aggressor.

Attacking Iran’s vital infrastructure—including energy and industrial facilities—directly targets the Iranian people. Beyond constituting a war crime, such actions carry consequences that extend far beyond Iran’s borders. They generate instability, increase human and economic costs, and perpetuate cycles of tension, planting seeds of resentment that will endure for years. This is not a demonstration of strength; it is a sign of strategic bewilderment and an inability to achieve a sustainable solution.

Is it not also the case that America has entered this aggression as a proxy for Israel, influenced and manipulated by that regime? Is it not true that Israel, by manufacturing an Iranian threat, seeks to divert global attention away from its crimes toward the Palestinians? Is it not evident that Israel now aims to fight Iran to the last American soldier and the last American taxpayer dollar—shifting the burden of its delusions onto Iran, the region, and the United States itself in pursuit of illegitimate interests.

Is “America First” truly among the priorities of the U.S. government today?

I invite you to look beyond the machinery of misinformation—an integral part of this aggression—and instead speak with those who have visited Iran. Observe the many accomplished Iranian immigrants—educated in Iran—who now teach and conduct research at the world’s most prestigious universities, or contribute to the most advanced technology firms in the West. Do these realities align with the distortions you are being told about Iran and its people?

Today, the world stands at crossroads. Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before. The choice between confrontation and engagement is both real and consequential; its outcome will shape the future for generations to come.

Throughout its millennia of proud history, Iran has outlasted many aggressors. All that remains of them are tarnished names in history, while Iran endures—resilient, dignified, and proud.”

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Former Naval Officer Warns Iran War Could Trap U.S. in Costly Strategic Defeat

A former U.S. naval officer explains why Iran’s endurance strategy could trap America in a costly war and expose the limits of military power.

Former Naval Officer Warns Iran War Could Trap U.S. in Costly Strategic Defeat

A former U.S. naval officer explains why Iran’s endurance strategy could trap America in a costly war and expose the limits of military power.

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Geopolitics & India’s fragile energy dependence

THE US-Israeli strikes on Iran and its Gulf-wide retaliation have rendered the Strait of Hormuz near-impassable, with Brent…
#Politics ##DiversifyEnergy ##GlobalEnergyMarkets ##IndiaOilImports ##RussianCrudeWaiver ##StrategicAutonomy #EnergyPolicyIndia #EnergySecurityIndia #geopolitics #StraitOfHormuz
https://www.europesays.com/2843762/

Thursday, March 5, 2026

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Thursday, March 5, 2026

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Thursday, March 5, 2026

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Thursday, March 5, 2026

https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2026/03/thursday-march-5-2026/

Thursday, March 5, 2026

https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2026/03/thursday-march-5-2026/