An interesting book, up to about Ch. 19 at which point it does go off the rails. The range of coverage of the Israeli point of view is excellent and reasonably reflects the diversity of opinion. Parsi was afforded wide access and used it well. The coverage of Iranian internal points of view is less extensive. Particularly disapointing was a lack of coverage of the Basiji, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard which now dominates the economy and internal security services.

Parsi's basic argument is that the actions of Iran and Israel can be understood solely in geophysical terms. Because of its large population (about 68 million), position on the Gulf and industrial capacity Iran's natural role is to dominate the region. I should add, to Iran's credit, a point that Parsi missed in as much as Iranian poetry and literature was historically considered to be high culture in neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Afganistan. What Parsi doesn't mention by starting with the Shah is 200 years of the Qajar dynasty were Iran was not a natural leader and was actually quite weak. In geopolitical terms Iran's largest city to the south is Shiraz and most of the population is concentrated in the north towards the Caspian sea.

Parsi's characterization of Israeli policy is that of the "Periphery Doctrine". Briefly stated he believes that Israel was friendly with Iran from 1948 to the early 90s because it weakened its neighbouring Arab states. When Iran broke off all contact, Israel forged relationships with countries further on the periphery - India and China and the small . Whereas there is some basis for this approach a better view is that Israel is like a puppy dog with a short memory. Throughout its history the country has held out the possibility of peaceful relations with all of its neighbours. In it's bid for a regional hegemony Iran doesn't consider the possibility of advocating openly peaceful relations with everyone as well, merely playing off opposing forces to make itself more relevant.

His analysis of why Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons is also flawed IMHO. Parsi asserts that if Iran develops nuclear weaponry, so will its neighbours, but mostly by acquisition, which will negate Iran's superiority in conventional forces. I agree with the probable outcome of proliferation but disagree with his conclusion. Historically Iran's military has done rather poorly against neighbouring Iraq and are ill suited for engaging Afghanistan. If one looks at a map one finds that deploying troops against the GCC is a possibility, but forget about Pakistan. Against Israel - forget it - they'd have to cross borders. Though Iran borders the Gulf the bulk of their population and infrastructure is to the north east of the country. The best use of Iran's army is defending home turf, not for projecting power outside the country, something we observed the suppression surrounding Iran's recent "elections".

Iran is a fear based state where opposition to the established leadership gets crushed, as we have seen in this year's "elections". It's rhetorical antipathy towards the Jewish State should be taken seriously as should its efforts to undermine the government of Lebanon through its proxy Hezbollah. As Thomas a Becket ruefully discovered, words matter, especially in an autocratic state such as Iran.

The dog in fact may bite.



Some minor irritations, without which I probably would have rated the book at 4 stars for how clearly it stated it's point of view:

1. Time and again Parsi refers to Tel Aviv as the source of Israel government postions. He even refers to Israel's "lively and noisy capital" going silent during Sadaam Hussein's scud attacks. Trita, bubeleh, the Knesset is in Jerusalem. That's where the decisions are made, not Tel Aviv. Next you'll be telling us that Beijing is running Taiwan. Also 39 scuds landed in Israel, not 34 - the Patriot anti-missile system that the US sold them was completely ineffective.

2. In Chapter 13 which covers the early 1990s its hard to keep track of what year it is as Parsi goes back and forth so much. Some better editting is required.

3. Parsi praises Iran too much for helping negotiate the release of US hostages in Lebanon. That perspective is wrong - Iran was funding and operating the hostage takers and was acting as agents on their behalf, just as Iran controls Hezbollah in Lebanon, supplies and encourages Hamas in Gaza and rebels in North Yemen against Saudi Arabia.

4. Iran's relationship with Syria is not considered at all, but this would be highly relevant.

5. Much is made of a grand offer cobbled together by a Swiss diplomat in 2003. It would have been interesting if the US had pursued it however one of the more obnoxious items was for the US to turn over it's erstwhile allies the MKO to the Iranians. Yes, they were designated as terrorists but the US made deals with all kinds of despicable persons in both Iraq and Afghanistan and to do a treacherous about face would undermine the American's trustworthiness. Parsi should have done a deeper analysis of the pros and cons of the grand bargain. Only a pared down proposal might have been workable. Tying Iranian assistance in Iraq to the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israels was also a clue that this would fail as an offer.

6. The 1991 Madrid Conference that did not invite Iran did not need yet another pro-Palestinian voice at the table. In and of itself the conference was a failure as all parties used it to promote set positions but it did lead to bilateral talks which were successful. Yes, Iran would have felt more important, but then other non-border states would have needed to be invited as well.

7. Parsi leaves us dangling on Russia. Both the Shah and the Ayatollahs were opposed to Godless Communinism - Parsi covers this, but what about the present. Russia and Iran are no longer ideologically at odds and Russia has always sought a friendly warm water port. The Grand Game is still at play.


In spite of these objections I found it an interesting read. One does not have to agree with Parsi's conclusions to appreciate and respect his point of view.

A well balanced and fairly even-handed review of the triangle of Iranian-Israeli-US relationships. I say it is even-handed because Trita Parsi is critical of all parties involved. I am sure that neither the ayatollahs of Iran, ex-Bush administration nor the Israeli lobby will appreciate the book due to its straight talk. This is a very timely book given the current push by the international community against the Iranians for their nuclear program. It provides a historical backdrop to understand how the current situation has come to pass. Trita Parsi is a fairly good writer though occasionally repetitive. I found it to be a decent read and very informative.

Trita Parsi has written an excellent book, with a superb usage of the English language.

Mr. Parsi backs up his assertions with factual evidence garnered from interviews with U.S., Iranian, and israeli players, unlike most other so-called 'experts' on the Iranian - U.S. relationship who primarily spew the AIPAC line which is irrationally anti-Persian as well as anti-Islamic and racist.

If you are looking for a concise and well-written explanation on the extremely convoluted state of affairs vis-a-vis Iran, the U.S., and Israel, then buy this book and look no further!

Should be read by any one interested in UNDESTAND the RELATION among Israel, Iran and the US. Bring exclusive detail based in 130 interviews for a PHD tesis in International Relations with the actors in the concern governments about the hypocrisy, cold war and blockade between Israel and Iran. In this excellent book without explicitly saying it he exposed the demagoguery of the Zionist Lobby.

Should be read by any one interested in UNDESTAND the RELATION among Israel, Iran and the US. Bring exclusive detail based in 130 interviews for a PHD tesis in International Relations with the actors in the concern governments about the hypocrisy, cold war and blockade between Israel and Iran. In this excellent book without explicitly saying it he exposed the demagoguery of the Zionist Lobby in goverment (Ross et al) in the US and what damaged it does.

This is an exceptional look inside a diplomatic house of mirrors: the ongoing evolution of relationships among Iran, Israel and the U.S., and where their motives, rhetoric, realpolitik and military power converge. Trita Parsi's sophisticated analysis of this complex, high-stakes, long-standing triad presents many surprises, perhaps even to those who think they know the inner workings of the Middle East and U.S. diplomacy. Parsi offers an advanced understanding of complicated modern diplomacy and insights about the future. His real expertise emerges in both history and analysis, though it is hard to know if his role as president of the National Iranian American Council may be a factor in his opinions. getAbstract advocates his book to anyone who wants to comprehend the doctrines and strategies behind Iran's relations with the U.S. and Israel.

ALAS, AFTER FURTHER THOUGHT I AM AFRAID I LET PARSI OFF TOO LIGHTLY. HE IS A FRAUDULENT OPPORTUNISTIC ANTI-SEMITIC AHMADINEJAD HACK..

The inflammatory cover of this fraudulent pseudo-scholarly tripe says it all. Think tank maven Trita Parsi attempts to whip up anti-Israel feeling by following the Mohammad Mossadeq school of Leftist cant: set up a false strawman of equal culpability between Islamic leaders in Iran and Israel as a way to take down two dichotomously situated ideologies concurrently. The book is transparently intended as a think tank associate resume enhancement exercise to enable Parsi to obtain the usual biased pro-Islamic tenure-track appointment at any given Department of Middle East Studies in the United States. As I said at the beginning, the cover of this book showing the juxtaposition of religious Jews at the Wailing Wall with the murderous fascist ex-leader Ayatollah Khomeini is meant to inflame pro-Israel viewers and this trite (or should I say, Trita) attempt at analysis of Iran and the Middle-East belongs in the dustbin along with most think tank greenhorn analysis.

The inflammatory cover of this fraudulent pseudo-scholarly tripe says it all. Think tank maven Trita Parsi attempts to whip up anti-Israel feeling by following the Mohammad Mossadeq school of Leftist cant: set up a false strawman of equal culpability between Islamic leaders in Iran and Israel as a way to take down two dichotomously situated ideologies concurrently. The book is transparently intended as a think tank associate resume enhancement exercise to enable Parsi to obtain the usual biased pro-Islamic tenure-track appointment at any given Department of Middle East Studies in the United States. As I said at the beginning, the cover of this book showing the juxtaposition of religious Jews at the Wailing Wall with the murderous fascist ex-leader Ayatollah Khomeini is meant to inflame pro-Israel viewers and this trite (or should I say, Trita) attempt at analysis of Iran and the Middle-East belongs in the dustbin along with most think tank greenhorn analysis.

Parsi's book is a wonderful look at the relations between these three Mid-East powers. What makes his book so refreshing and new is his very detached, matter of fact presentation of the historical and current relations between these 3 countries. He is, thankfully, not an apologist for any of the three states. He makes no efforts to apologize for Iran's past misdeeds. He also demonstrates that pragmatism is just as present on the Iranian side as on the others, and that religious zealotry is far from the only reason Iran has grievances against the other countries. Parsi also shows how name-calling on the US-Israel side, i.e. trying to define Iran as nothing but evil that should not be negotiated with, is incredibly counterproductive.
While many, if not most, US based writers on the subject avoid dealing with the influence of the pro-Israel lobby (and indeed many of the US-based writers on the subject are part of the lobby) in the US and their influence on US foreign policy, Parsi does not avoid the subject at all. He demonstrates the failures and successes of all three sides. He also ends his book with a conclusion expressing a solution that could lead to peace, if all sides accepted each other's legitimate needs and concerns.

If you have an interest in Middle East affairs, foreign relations, or in any of the history/politics of the three countries, I highly recommend this book to you.

Excellent book however it is not properly formatted for the Kindle and therefore it is very frustrating when trying to use the Kindle " functions" such as highlighting, and recalling chapter notes.Also, does not go back to where you left off when the book is closed.

I have spent five years in Iran and the Persian Golf from 1999 till 2003 taking part in the worlds largest 2D seismic project. In 2002 I did several filmed interviews with leaders of the Islamic Republic.I have read the book Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran and the US. This book is extraordinary well written and throws a sharp search light on every turn and bend in the political landscapes between Iran, Israel and the US. The books strength is its sometimes overwhelming documentation made by the Author. He has researched every possible detail and fact in the often murky relationship between these three States. Dr Parsi opens up a "Pandora's Box" for the reader and his writing style demands Your attention from page one. Fasten Your seat belts. This is a book you shouldn't miss.