U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace deal with Iran is hanging on by a thread, after the U.S. and Iran traded strikes against each other over the weekend. This comes as the old-guard, hawkish Democrats – including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer – have been voicing opposition to Trump’s peace deal, despite the mounting toll of the war.
So will this war ever end? Are the old-guard, hawkish Democrats dragging their feet now when it comes to stopping the war on Iran? And what do actual Iranian-Americans think of the deal?
In this video, Mehdi interviews Yassamin Ansari – the first and only Iranian-American Democrat in Congress – who explains why she “hopes” this deal will mark the end of this war. She also discusses why some Democrats are trying to rally against the peace deal.
“It’s the natural inclination to want to criticize Donald Trump and what he’s done, because what he did was insane,” Ansari says to Mehdi. “Sometimes in that effort, we may inadvertently become obstacles to peace as Democrats.”
In this wide-ranging interview, Mehdi and Ansari discuss the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, her party’s handling of the war, and more. She also, for the first time, accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza – joining the growing list of Democrats willing to use that term.
Here are some highlights of the discussion:
Her impeachment articles against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his alleged war crimes in Iran (“That bombing at the school in Minab… was the final straw for me.”)
Vice President JD Vance claiming this current deal with Iran is better than the 2015 Obama administration nuclear deal (“I don’t believe a word that JD Vance or anybody in this administration says.”)
Why it has taken so long for Democrats to constrain Trump and his war on Iran (“We need to be the anti-war party.”)
Whether the victories of democratic socialist candidates in New York, backed by Mamdani, will ultimately hurt Democrats in swing states (“I just find all of this attacking each side of our party really exhausting.”)
Ansari’s rejection of future donations from pro-Israel lobby groups such as DMFI and AIPAC.
Paid subscribers can watch the full 25-minute interview. Free subscribers can watch a 3-minute preview. Consider becoming a paid subscriber to Zeteo to unlock this episode and the rest of our award-winning content.
Editor’s Note: This interview was recorded before the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes against each other over the weekend.
Check out Zeteo’s other recent stories:
