Trita Parsi was born in pre-revolution Iran in the early 1970s. Although his family left the country when he was just four years old, his interest and connection to Iranian people, culture, and politics has remained strong throughout his life. Early in his career Parsi worked for the United Nations addressing human rights in Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Iraq. After the 9/11 attacks, he founded the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), to organize and strengthen the voice of Iranian-Americans and bridge the gap between the American and Iranian people.
He has since become an expert on U.S.-Iranian relations and authored two books on foreign politics: “Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States” (Yale University Press/2007) and “A Single Roll of the Dice-Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran” (Yale University Press/2012). He is in town to talk about the Iran nuclear deal at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke; he’ll be at the FedEx Global Education Center on UNC’s campus tonight at 6 p.m. and at the Thomas Room of Duke’s Lilly Library tomorrow at noon. Host Frank Stasio talks to Trita Parsi about the geopolitics of the Middle East and the potential impact of the new nuclear deal.
