Abrams, a true Darth Vader of U.S. foreign policy, is in the Middle East drumming up support for even harsher sanctions on Iran - in the midst of the pandemic that has killed tens of thousands. Trita Parsi joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news podcast. Paul JayHi, I'm Paul Jay. Welcome to theAnalysis.n

Abrams, a true Darth Vader of U.S. foreign policy, is in the Middle East drumming up support for even harsher sanctions on Iran - in the midst of the pandemic that has killed tens of thousands. Trita Parsi joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news podcast.

Paul JayHi, I'm Paul Jay. Welcome to theAnalysis.news podcast. Please don't forget the donate button at the topof the webpage.

The Associated Press reports that Elliott Abrams, one of the true Darth Vaders of U.S. foreign policy --OK, that's me, not AP; now we're back to AP -- and the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, while on atrip to the Middle East, insisted Thursday that a maximum pressure campaign of sanctions targeting Iranwould persist into the administration of Joe Biden, even as the president-elect has pledged to potentiallyreturn America to Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. The Trump administration has made perhapsits highest foreign policy objective weakening and, if possible, bringing down the government and rulingcircles of Iran. Trump's killing of the Iranian general Soleimani was an attempt to provoke Iran into a war,a tactic that didn't work. Iran was also the target of the Bush-Cheney administration, who could not abidea regional adversary with the capability of firing ballistic missiles at American troops and allies.Obama's deal with Iran to limit its ability to develop nuclear weapons technology was a break with theneocon agenda of regime change in Iran. It was an acceptance of Iran as a regional power, a role thatwas strengthened by the disastrous Iraq war. Biden says he will return the US to that agreement and endU.S. support for the Saudi war in Yemen.

So, why is Elliott Abrams, a man connected to the most aggressive foreign policy the last few decades,touring the Middle East drumming up support for even more intense sanctions at a time of the Covid crisisand tens of thousands of deaths in Iran? Does Trump still want to be a wartime president? Elliott Abramssays while the military strike is not off the table, any suggestion that Trump is planning such a strikeagainst Iran is, quote, "Garbage." Well, do the neocons who have supported Biden over Trump, expectsomething in return?

Now joining us is Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraftand author of Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States, A SingleRoll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran, and Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph ofDiplomacy.Thanks very much for joining us, Trita.

Trita ParsiThank you for having me.

Paul JaySo, Trita, start with why you think Abrams is over there at this moment, right after the elections.

Trita ParsiWell, the official reason -- and it's interesting that they haven't even tried to hide it -- is that he is there tocoordinate with the Israelis, the Saudis, and the Emirates in order to provide a flood of new sanctions thatwill make it next to impossible -- their calculation -- for the Biden administration to go back to the nucleardeal. These new sanctions will not be connected to Iran's nuclear program but will be based on humanrights abuses, missile technology, etc., and, as a result, will make it more difficult, if not impossible, for theBiden administration to undo them, which would be necessary in order for the JCPOA [i.e., the Irannuclear deal] to be resurrected. And it reveals, incidentally,