Inside the U.S.-Iran Negotiations

Israel Policy Pod

Chapters
0:00
Introduction
5:31
Prospects for a Permanent Ceasefire Deal
13:40
What a Deal Could Look Like
25:25
Reopening the Straight of Hormuz
32:00
Scenarios and Consequences of No Deal
49:48
Which Side May Benefit From Not Concluding a Deal
Israel Policy Pod
Inside the U.S.-Iran Negotiations
Apr 21, 2026
Israel Policy Forum

On this week’s episode, Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor and Tel Aviv-based journalist Neri Zilber hosts Naysan Rafati, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group. They discuss the latest in the fragile ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran, what a deal could actually look like, what happens if negotiations collapse and fighting resumes, which side may benefit more from not concluding a deal, the role of the Strait of Hormuz, the current political and economic state of the Islamic Republic, and more. 

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Episode Artwork Inside the U.S.-Iran Negotiations 1:10:25 Episode Artwork Who Won the Iran War? 55:26 Episode Artwork Deal or No Deal With Iran? 1:04:52 Episode Artwork Why the Iranian Regime Thinks It's Winning 1:02:48 Episode Artwork Three Variables That Will Decide the Iran War 1:04:13 Episode Artwork U.S.-Israel Strikes on Iran: Assessing the New Regional Reality 1:01:22 Episode Artwork Trump's Board of Peace: The Good, the Bad, and the Unlikely 1:14:00 Episode Artwork Iran and the U.S. on a Collision Course 1:00:27 Episode Artwork Another Bibi-Trump Meeting 1:04:38 Episode Artwork Iran Crisis, Gaza Ceasefire, and Mayor Mamdani 43:00 Episode Artwork Another Round With Iran? 59:50 Episode Artwork The Likud, Naftali Bennett, and Israeli Politics 1:09:59 Episode Artwork Where Does Iran Go From Here? 1:05:20 Episode Artwork The State of Play in Gaza and the Road Ahead 1:00:34 Episode Artwork The Highs and Lows of 2025 1:31:45 Episode Artwork Tenuous Ceasefires and the Story Behind the Hostages Families Forum 1:12:54 Episode Artwork What's Next for the Gaza Ceasefire? 39:14 Episode Artwork Gaza, Sde Teiman, Mamdani, Rabin 1:04:46 Episode Artwork Amb. Dan Shapiro on the State of U.S.-Israel Ties 1:09:01 Episode Artwork The Dust Settles in Gaza 56:03 Episode Artwork The Hostage-Ceasefire Deal (Webinar Recording) 58:06 Episode Artwork A Watershed White House Visit? 59:14 Episode Artwork Qatar, Gaza, New York 1:06:43 Episode Artwork The State of the PA: Between Annexation and Recognition 1:03:52 Episode Artwork Gaza: Escalation or a Deal? 1:02:24