By Javad Heirannia

JCPOA parties unlikely to accept U.S. argument to extend arms embargo on Iran: ex-CIA official 

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, says the Trump administration is arguing that it is still a party to the JCPOA even though it has grossly violated its obligations under the agreement. 

By Javad Heirannia

MbS condition will get worse after Salman death: Paul Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells that the death of Salman and the need to select a new king will bring to a head the competition between MBS and those members of the royal family who oppose his acquisition of absolute power.

By Javad Heirannia

Iranians view the killing of Soleimani as an act of war: Paul Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells that Trump often does not understand the nature and consequences of his own actions.

Paul Pillar: If the U.S. wants more out of Iran, it will have to agree to more of what Iran wants

TEHRAN — Paul R. Pillar, a retired CIA officer, has said U.S. President Donald Trump needs to make a significant change in his Iran policy in order to succeed, arguing that hints of such change have already appeared.

Bolton was a wrong choice by the impulsive president

TEHRAN - Donald Trump trumped his national security advisor John Bolton on Tuesday via a Twitter, saying he had "strongly disagreed" with many of Bolton's positions.  

By Javad Heirannia

Prospect for INSTEX is not good: Paul Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells that the Europeans still want to save the JCPOA. 

Paul Pillar: UAE Recognized Failure of Military Intervention in Yemen

TEHRAN - Paul R. Pillar, a retired CIA officer, says the UAE has come to recognize that its military cooperation with the Saudis in war on Yemen has failed to make any achievement.

By Javad Heirannia

Future of the JCPOA does not look good: Paul Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells that the future of the JCPOA does not look good. 

By Javad Heirannia

 ‘Warsaw Conference unlikely to result in any practical achievements’

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that the Trump administration has had to walk back from what it initially hoped to do with the Warsaw's Conference.

By Javad Heirannia

Erdogan government certainly does not like the Assad regime: ex-CIA official

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “The Syrian Kurds now have a much stronger incentive than before to reach some sort of understanding with the Assad regime--possibly pledging loyalty to the regime in return for a degree of autonomy in northeast Syria.” 

By Javad Heirannia

MEK Sources of funds are Iran’s regional rivals: ex-CIA official

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “A rationale for removing the MEK from the U.S. terrorism list was that in recent years the group has not been involved in killing Americans.” 

By Javad Heirannia

EU army won’t threaten NATO future: ex-CIA official 

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “today the idea of a European military force clearly is getting a boost from the many frictions between Europe and the Trump administration in the United States.” 

By Javad Heirannia

Reimposing sanctions on Iran is not in U.S. national interests: ex-senior CIA official

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that obviously with the U.S. administration reneging on the JCPOA, Iran is not getting much of the economic benefit it expected when it negotiated the agreement.  

By Javad Heirannia

Khashoggi case will force Trump to do something: ex-senior CIA official

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that Khashoggi case will force Trump to do something, but his administration will resist doing more than a necessary minimum, because it does not want to upset its overall relationship with Saudi Arabia. 

By Javad Heirannia

Next election is a referendum for Trump: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “No doubt other participants in the coming Security Council meeting--and not just Iran, which needs to be given an opportunity to speak--will raise the point that the United States under Trump has been in violation of an agreement that became enshrined in a Security Council resolution that passed by a unanimous vote.”

By Javad Heirannia

Security problems in Middle East are not clear situations: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “The security problems in the Middle East in which Iran is involved are not clear situations, in which there is one aggressor and one victim.”

By Javad Heirannia

Trump is a false populist: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that Trump lives in “the moment, saying what gets applause and attention at any one moment. He leaves no legacy of political or philosophical thought.”

By Javad Heirannia

European large firms will ignore Iran market: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “The European governments seem determined to resist the Trump administration on this issue, but there is only so much they can do to protect their private sector from secondary U.S. sanctions.”

By Javad Heirannia

Netanyahu relying on confusion and ignorance about JCPOA: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “Netanyahu is relying on confusion and ignorance about the JCPOA.”

By Javad Heirannia

Saudis are not eager to make significant new troop commitment in Syria: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that the United States cannot, of course, order Arab states to do specified things with their armed forces.  

By Javad Heirannia

Attack on Syria didn't have a basis in international law: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that the attack on Syria was “neither in self-defense nor authorized by the United Nations Security Council, it did not have a basis in international law.

By Javad Heirannia

Future of JCPOA looks grim: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “The changes involving Pompeo and Bolton will mean a more hawkish policy overall. There will be even greater reliance on military force rather than on diplomacy than we have seen so far.”

By Javad Heirannia

JCPOA model has less attractive aspects from Saudi point of view: Pillar

TEHRAN – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, tells the Tehran Times that “The Saudis will argue that they should get anything that Iran got in the JCPOA, and that includes being free to do their own enrichment of uranium.”