US-Iran agreement may rank as worst ever, warns Iranian-Israeli strategic analyst

Yasmin Sayeh, an Iranian-Israeli strategic analyst who joined marches for a free Iran, labels the new US-Iran agreement possibly the worst deal ever.

Has the US delivered Iran the weakest agreement in history?

BySHIFRA JACOBS, JERUSALEM POST PODCASTS

JUNE 18, 2026 05:50

Updated: JUNE 18, 2026 07:13

Watch this episode without interruptions.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Following a stormy period across the Middle East, the newest installment of The Deep Dive examines reports that the United States and Iran are set to finalize an accord, one that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims excludes Israel completely. To explore the wider implications, Shifra Jacobs speaks with Yasmin Sayeh, an Iranian-Israeli strategic analyst, security-studies expert, and Persian speaker who connects academic strategy to conditions inside Iran. Her assessment of the developing US-Iran agreement is direct: based on available details, she describes it as possibly the weakest pact she has encountered.

From demonstrations to an accord

Sayeh traces events over the past six months, moving from widespread demonstrations and the regime harsh response through the multi-front conflict to the abrupt turn to diplomacy. According to her, tens of thousands of Iranians have lost their lives while seeking reform, yet the agreement fails to curb the regime and instead supplies funds, recognition, and space for recovery. She maintains that even with shifts in leadership, core ideology remains unchanged, and a diplomatic success could allow Tehran to project a moderate image abroad while continuing internal suppression.

The personal toll beneath the news

A key focus of the discussion centers on human impact. Referencing her work for The Jerusalem Report, Sayeh explains how the regime has deployed sexual violence as a deliberate method to instill fear among citizens, drawing parallels to the October 7 attacks and Iran-backed groups including Hamas and Hezbollah. She and Jacobs address the challenge of maintaining attention to these accounts amid repeated exposure, noting that personal accounts, even when relayed indirectly, still require attention. For Israelis, she observes, conflict has persisted without pause, with ongoing rocket threats from the north.

Measured optimism and a hope for Tehran

The discussion ends on a note of measured optimism. Sayeh considers the Iranian-Israeli solidarity events she helped arrange in Tel Aviv and the many messages from Iranians who felt acknowledged. She believes reported tensions between Trump and Netanyahu may serve political purposes, and she remains open to the possibility that the agreement scheduled for signing in Switzerland on Friday could include unexpected elements. Her final wish reflects the tone of the exchange: that she and Jacobs might one day record the podcast together in Tehran.