Esmail Baghaei, a senior Iranian official, discusses the U.S. narrative, Iran’s strikes across the region, and prospects for diplomacy in a half-hour interview with Jeremy Scahill.
Jeremy Scahill’s interview highlights just how unstable and contradictory the public rationale for this war has become. On one day, President Donald Trump says Iran was about to strike first. The next, Marco Rubio suggests the U.S. moved preemptively because Israel was going to attack and retaliation was expected anyway. Those are not minor messaging differences — they go to the core question of who initiated this war and why.
Esmail Baghaei’s central point isn’t just denial; it’s that diplomacy was underway and scheduled before the bombing began. If that’s accurate, then the American public deserves clarity about why negotiations were abandoned in favor of escalation. Preemptive war requires overwhelming evidence of imminent threat — not shifting explanations after the fact.
At the same time, the widening strikes across the Gulf, the damage to energy infrastructure, and the mounting civilian death toll show how quickly “limited” wars spiral into regional crises. Whether one trusts Tehran or Washington more, the consequences are no longer theoretical. They’re measurable in lives lost, cities damaged, and global instability.
If this war is truly about preventing catastrophe, then transparency — not rhetoric — is the minimum requirement.
Why would we expect transparency from either the Netanyahu regime or the Trump Administration at this late date? What is transparent is that they are both bad-faith actors. Iran’s concessions were confirmed by our own officials. What is also transparent is that the U.S. has and will continue to do Netanyahu’s bidding. U.S. politicians who continue to accept money from the Israeli lobby and/or vote to send arms to Israel are treasonous. As one protester said recently, they have sacrificed the U.S. Constitution for a foreign, genocidal state. Not only are we funding a genocide and going to war illegally under false pretenses, we are suppressing civil liberties inside our country on behalf of a rogue state that has committed almost incomprehensible evil. As a people, we are refusing to face the gravity of these facts.
Glad to hear directly from Iran's government, so thank you, Jeremy!
It's quite clear that this is Israe's war, and their goal is to devastate Iran the way they've done to Lebanon for many years. They want all surrounding states to look like Gaza and to have no functional government.
Trouble is, Iran is a nation of 90 minllion people with formidable military might. It's a fool's errand to think they can "win" this war.
Israel (and the U.S.) will fail in this misbegotten war they initiated without cause. The moral rot in both our government and Israel's is beyond the pale.
Mr. Esmail Bagheri stated that this is a false-flag war. Unfortunately, our service members, our economies, and innocent civilians are the ones paying the price.
I am just speaking my mind, I believe we can start the world peace by splitting up with Israhell; there is No such thing as greater Israel.
The Zionists will not be able to function without $18 billions annually reaping off the US taxpayers, so the US must stop funding and arming Israel. They cannot buries Epstein scandals under the Iran rubbles, Gaza atrocities is already exposed world wide (thanks to the independent journalists), I think we need to unite the world‘s brown noses especially the immediate neighbours of the Arab Zionists: Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, Jordan, and the rest of the world With another especially Germany should stop supporting and accommodating Israel. Then we can have normal world and rebuild Palestine 🇵🇸with the world supports (not by those thugs horror shows Epstein people and their “board of peace” of shit!
Thanks so much for this interview which demonstrates the treachery and serial lying of the US and Israel about the nature and reasons for the illegal attack they have visited upon Iran. The idea that Iran represented and imminent threat to the US or was about to attack is preposterous.
There is NO reason for this unconstitutional and thus illegal attacks on Iran. Esmail is precisely correct in his contention that this attack is simply part of Bibi's genocidal policies. Bibi is a criminal. Trump is a criminal. They and their juntas need to hang.
Iran has every right to bomb the shit outta the US and Israel, they’re dealing with the same people responsible for the Gaza genocide. The US/Israeli genocidal warmongers must be stopped. I’m praying they’ll end the US military presence in the Middle East including sending the Israeli bastards back to their original countries so the Palestinians can return to their homes. May God protect the resistance, the innocent people of Iran and the Middle East.
Thank you so much for this interview. The US government isn't even trying to put forth a cohesive case for these attacks. At the same time, the Trump circle has been raking in profits from their bets on all of this. Insider info. They are determined to profit.
As Ghassan Kanafani said about negotiating with zionist, any negotiating between Israel/U.S. with Iran would " be a conversation of the sword with the kneck".
There is a reason. For Trump. For Trump's family. What he calls "the Venezuela deal." Oil. Trump wants to make an oil exchange deal to enrich himself, his family. His war = $$$$$ He cares 0 for lives lost, maimed, and/or partners. Roy Cohn knew Trump's narcicism = ice. There is no help for anyone who breaks through.
the worst part of all this, besides the deaths of Iranians (and Americans) that will come, the consequences of this behavior by US/Israel will reverberate globally and for many years to come, long after DJT is gone
Jeremy Scahill’s interview highlights just how unstable and contradictory the public rationale for this war has become. On one day, President Donald Trump says Iran was about to strike first. The next, Marco Rubio suggests the U.S. moved preemptively because Israel was going to attack and retaliation was expected anyway. Those are not minor messaging differences — they go to the core question of who initiated this war and why.
Esmail Baghaei’s central point isn’t just denial; it’s that diplomacy was underway and scheduled before the bombing began. If that’s accurate, then the American public deserves clarity about why negotiations were abandoned in favor of escalation. Preemptive war requires overwhelming evidence of imminent threat — not shifting explanations after the fact.
At the same time, the widening strikes across the Gulf, the damage to energy infrastructure, and the mounting civilian death toll show how quickly “limited” wars spiral into regional crises. Whether one trusts Tehran or Washington more, the consequences are no longer theoretical. They’re measurable in lives lost, cities damaged, and global instability.
If this war is truly about preventing catastrophe, then transparency — not rhetoric — is the minimum requirement.
Why would we expect transparency from either the Netanyahu regime or the Trump Administration at this late date? What is transparent is that they are both bad-faith actors. Iran’s concessions were confirmed by our own officials. What is also transparent is that the U.S. has and will continue to do Netanyahu’s bidding. U.S. politicians who continue to accept money from the Israeli lobby and/or vote to send arms to Israel are treasonous. As one protester said recently, they have sacrificed the U.S. Constitution for a foreign, genocidal state. Not only are we funding a genocide and going to war illegally under false pretenses, we are suppressing civil liberties inside our country on behalf of a rogue state that has committed almost incomprehensible evil. As a people, we are refusing to face the gravity of these facts.
The catastrophe is happening right now.
The propaganda coming from this president shows how brainwashed the usa public really is
Trump probably wants an aircraft carrier named after him.
Glad to hear directly from Iran's government, so thank you, Jeremy!
It's quite clear that this is Israe's war, and their goal is to devastate Iran the way they've done to Lebanon for many years. They want all surrounding states to look like Gaza and to have no functional government.
Trouble is, Iran is a nation of 90 minllion people with formidable military might. It's a fool's errand to think they can "win" this war.
Israel (and the U.S.) will fail in this misbegotten war they initiated without cause. The moral rot in both our government and Israel's is beyond the pale.
For what it's worth, I am profoundly alarmed by these bloodthirsty operations. Why are they trying to kill everyone in Iran?
Trump and Netanyahu are consummate bullshit artists.
Mr. Esmail Bagheri stated that this is a false-flag war. Unfortunately, our service members, our economies, and innocent civilians are the ones paying the price.
I am just speaking my mind, I believe we can start the world peace by splitting up with Israhell; there is No such thing as greater Israel.
The Zionists will not be able to function without $18 billions annually reaping off the US taxpayers, so the US must stop funding and arming Israel. They cannot buries Epstein scandals under the Iran rubbles, Gaza atrocities is already exposed world wide (thanks to the independent journalists), I think we need to unite the world‘s brown noses especially the immediate neighbours of the Arab Zionists: Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, Jordan, and the rest of the world With another especially Germany should stop supporting and accommodating Israel. Then we can have normal world and rebuild Palestine 🇵🇸with the world supports (not by those thugs horror shows Epstein people and their “board of peace” of shit!
One more thing, long live 🇮🇷!
You got my vote..run for president.
LOL, I am an artist not a politician 😂
Thanks so much for this interview which demonstrates the treachery and serial lying of the US and Israel about the nature and reasons for the illegal attack they have visited upon Iran. The idea that Iran represented and imminent threat to the US or was about to attack is preposterous.
There is NO reason for this unconstitutional and thus illegal attacks on Iran. Esmail is precisely correct in his contention that this attack is simply part of Bibi's genocidal policies. Bibi is a criminal. Trump is a criminal. They and their juntas need to hang.
Iran has every right to bomb the shit outta the US and Israel, they’re dealing with the same people responsible for the Gaza genocide. The US/Israeli genocidal warmongers must be stopped. I’m praying they’ll end the US military presence in the Middle East including sending the Israeli bastards back to their original countries so the Palestinians can return to their homes. May God protect the resistance, the innocent people of Iran and the Middle East.
Thank you so much for this interview. The US government isn't even trying to put forth a cohesive case for these attacks. At the same time, the Trump circle has been raking in profits from their bets on all of this. Insider info. They are determined to profit.
Iran did not start this war and went out of their way to prevent it but now they should finish it. No more Zionist Israel regime
As Ghassan Kanafani said about negotiating with zionist, any negotiating between Israel/U.S. with Iran would " be a conversation of the sword with the kneck".
Israel delanda est.
There is a reason. For Trump. For Trump's family. What he calls "the Venezuela deal." Oil. Trump wants to make an oil exchange deal to enrich himself, his family. His war = $$$$$ He cares 0 for lives lost, maimed, and/or partners. Roy Cohn knew Trump's narcicism = ice. There is no help for anyone who breaks through.
Weird how the “bad guys” are the ones who make sense.
the worst part of all this, besides the deaths of Iranians (and Americans) that will come, the consequences of this behavior by US/Israel will reverberate globally and for many years to come, long after DJT is gone