Steven A. Cook

Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for MENA @CFR_org. Big NY sports & pizza guy. Goofy dad. I'd rather be skiing. My own opinions. RTs ≠endorsement.

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

Wait two hours...

[Aaron MacLean @AaronBMacLean]

Iran and Oman, in a joint statement, indicate plans to charge for passage of the Strait of Hormuz. A working group will reach agreement on "the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the services that will be provided in this regard and the costs associated with them in accordance with international standards"

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

This is very good by @ShalomLipner

https://t.co/bRS2lZhOKn

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

Very interesting , especially since he could be a player in a non-Netanyahu led government.

[Yaakov Katz @yaakovkatz]

Very interesting op-ed by @AvigdorLiberman on the Iran deal, the need for an IDF missile corps - something he has been advocating for years - but the most important line is this: “I have no complaints against the Americans. Some Israelis expect U.S. decision makers to act according to Israeli interests. But U.S. decision makers must act according to U.S. interests, not Israeli ones. Responsibility for defending Israel’s vital interests rests with Israel alone.”

The Israeli disappointment with Trump, the open letters to him and the emotional sense of betrayal are, as Liberman hints, exaggerated. Trump did what he believes serves American interests. Whether he is right is a separate issue.

The question Israelis should be asking is different: why did so many assume this would end differently? Instead of outrage, there needs to be some reflection - when and why did interests that were aligned at the start of the war begin to diverge?

https://t.co/VhCmQLeWuX

[Thanos Davelis @ThanosDavelis]

On the latest @GreekCurrent episode, I explore what President Trump's Iran deal means for Washington, the Middle East, Europe, #Greece and the global economy with @stevenacook, @NedosVassilis, @ian_lesser, and @mariademertzis.

https://t.co/X4PjmM2psS

[Thanos Davelis @ThanosDavelis]

I break down the key details of this deal with @stevenacook, looking at what it achieves, what remains up in the air, and what message the end of this war sends to partners in the region about US commitments to the Middle East.

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

Keep an eye on this...

[Ihab Hassan @IhabHassane]

BREAKING: The first anti-Hamas protests in Gaza have just begun. People are demanding better living conditions — and in these protests, they're asking for something as basic as water.

DOWN WITH HAMAS!

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

Well done, Egypt!

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

👇🏼

[Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib @afalkhatib]

There are many things to criticize about UNRWA & its operations; but this dehumanizing AI slop with burning chimneys & men in Hijabs isn't it. At a time when 2/3rds of Gazans are displaced & many in the West Bank face the specter of forced displacement by settlers, this is gross!

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

This is what the folks at the IRGC-affiliated Mashragh think about Pres Trump's "victory." (h/t Ray Takeyh).

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

As War With U.S. Eases, Iran Steps Up Hangings of Dissidents https://t.co/0gP2nO67q3

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

👇🏼

[Nicole Grajewski @NicoleGrajewski]

Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner are expected to spend Friday through Sunday in Switzerland meeting Iranian counterparts, alongside Pakistani and Qatari mediators. These talks will focus on the nuclear matters outlined in paragraphs 7, 8, and 9 of the MoU. 🧵

[Council on Foreign Relations @CFR_org]

U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have signed a memorandum of understanding to end hostilities between the two countries. @stevenacook, a Middle East expert at CFR, analyzes what the agreement means for various parties, assessing that it heavily favors Tehran.

[Foreign Policy @ForeignPolicy]

Over the past three decades, Washington set out to build a Palestinian state, transform Iraqi society, and make Middle Eastern countries democracies. None of it worked, and neither did Trump’s Iran gambit, writes @stevenacook. https://t.co/dM5Z0ZakMo

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

https://t.co/AvqWEVUzBW

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

Me @ForeignPolicy ...

"Over the weekend, Trump stated that if Iran did not honor its commitments in the MOU, the United States would be the “guardian of the Middle East.” In fact, Trump’s failure in Iran is likely to trigger something else altogether: a U.S. withdrawal."

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

"Totally obliterated."

[Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران @ariel_oseran]

An important reminder: Hezbollah was the one that launched three drones into Israeli territory today, prompting the strike. They knew very well this would be Israel's response. Iran knew it too.

And yes, the IDF has been striking in southern Lebanon. However, Israel and Lebanon signed an agreement that permits Israeli strikes limited to southern Lebanon. Hezbollah and Iran are undermining Lebanon's sovereignty.

[Steven A. Cook @stevenacook]

Wait two hours...

[Council on Foreign Relations @CFR_org]

The United States and Iran are reportedly close to a long-awaited agreement, but it remains to be seen whether it resolves their major differences—including nuclear and missile programs, the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel’s war with Iranian proxies.

“We have been here before only to discover the parties cannot bridge the remaining gaps,” expert @stevenacook said. "Negotiations on the outstanding issues, especially on Iran’s nuclear program, will be long and difficult."

https://t.co/V83oGOOkiR