Will Trump choose dialogue or pressure in dealing with Iran?

"The creed of Trump, his ideology, is deals, making a deal, the art of a deal - the title of his book. You never know if he won't have the temptation to make a deal with Iran, with the regime - he's such a lover of deals," the public intellectual said in a TV interview.

"He thinks so much that the best way to deal with grand history is to make deals that we could have a big surprise - Israel could have a big surprise."

Trump said on election day this month that he wishes Iran no harm but that Tehran cannot have nuclear weapons.

“My terms are very easy ... (Iran) can't have nuclear weapons," Trump said. "I’d like them to be a very successful country,” he added, but declined to detail specific plans for US-Iran relations.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to resolve US enmity with Iran through diplomacy and in a pre-election interview appeared to rule out seeking regime change there, saying: “We can't get totally involved in all that. We can't run ourselves".

But Trump in his first term withdrew the United States from an international deal over Iran's nuclear program, saying the Barack Obama-era agreement allowed Iran to shore up its finances and step up aid to armed allies in the Mideast.

His order to assassinate top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in 2020 earned him the lasting ire of Iran's rulers, who according to US law enforcement have been seeking to assassinate Trump and key aides in retaliation.

If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can weather domestic political struggles, Lévy said, it is also possible Israel and a Hawkish new Trump administration could join forces and take down Iran's Islamic system.

"You may have a coalition helping not only to defeat Hezbollah and Hamas, but to liberate Iran," he said, referring to Iran-backed Lebanese and Palestinian armed groups.

"At the end of the day, the real stake, the real aim or target is the liberation of Iran. When Iran is free, it is like when Germany was free in 1945 - it was a moment of deliverance," he added.

Lévy said Iranian civil society opposed to its rulers was part of a "global West" along with Taiwan, Israel and human rights defenders in Turkey: "the West is a category of the spirit and Iranian civil society is one of the core parts of this world."

Those domestic forces for change had already made progress toward unseating Iran's theocracy, he added, despite repression and imprisonment.

"Nobody can doubt that the boiling forces of dignity, of spirit, of youth, of civilization are there and that they are already prevailing," he said, addressing Iranian civil society.

"Most of the road you already covered under the veil, alas, sometimes under the boot, under the roof of jails, under the roof of the rooms of torture. But you made it with an incredible bravery."

Sanjari had posted on social media that he would take his own life if four prisoners—Fatemeh Sepehri, Nasreen Shakrami, Toomaj Salehi, and Arsham Rezaei—were not freed by 7pm local time on Wednesday.

Hours later, his death was confirmed by Iranian activists.

US special envoy to Iran Abram Paley described Sanjari’s death as a “tragic example of the regime’s repression,” citing his mistreatment at the hand of authorities.

“The regime repeatedly arrested and tortured Kianoosh for his work as a journalist,” Paley said in a post on X, adding, “We echo his call for the release of all political prisoners in Iran.”

Sanjari was imprisoned multiple times by Iranian authorities between 1999 and 2007, enduring solitary confinement and psychological abuse, including so-called white torture, or prolonged sensory deprivation.

After fleeing to Norway in 2007 with Amnesty International's help, he worked with human rights organizations and later became a journalist for Voice of America in Washington.

In 2016, Sanjari returned to Iran, where he was arrested again and sentenced to 11 years in prison. During this time, he suffered forced psychiatric hospitalization, electric shock treatments, and physical restraints, recounting how he was once injected with a substance that “locked [his] jaw” and left him chained to his bed.

Sanjari's death has drawn rebukes from international human rights organizations, each emphasizing the broader repression faced by journalists and activists in Iran.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) underscored the severe toll that years of state harassment took on Sanjari’s health. Jonathan Dagher, head of RSF’s Middle East desk, called Sanjari’s death “a tragedy that could have been avoided” and remembered him as “a dedicated journalist and a courageous human rights defender.”

In a statement on Friday, RSF demanded an “independent investigation into his death” and held Iranian authorities responsible for the pressures imposed on journalists, adding that this repression ultimately contributed to Sanjari’s death. RSF said that Iran is among the world’s most hostile countries for journalists, with 25 currently imprisoned and others facing constant threats of detention or violence.

Index on Censorship also expressed sorrow, describing Sanjari’s death as a profound loss and highlighting his commitment to human rights. “We are deeply saddened to learn that Iranian activist Kianoosh Sanjari has taken his own life in protest against the Iran regime and its unjust persecution of political prisoners,” the organization said in a post on X Friday, offering condolences to his family and friends.

Sanjari’s case has once again highlighted the risks faced by journalists and activists in Iran, where authorities continue to crack down on dissent.

Earlier on Friday, Iran’s security forces blocked access to Section 250 of Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery, preventing mourners from attending Sanjari’s burial, according to information obtained by Iran International.

Those attempting alternative routes were also turned away by security forces. At least two individuals, including activist Hossein Ronaghi and PhD student Milad Kakavand, were briefly detained as they tried to attend the burial.

The Fordow site, located about 100 km south of Tehran, has been a focal point of tension due to its uranium enrichment activities. In February last year, inspectors discovered uranium particles enriched to 83.7% at the underground facility.

Iran said it started enriching uranium to 60% at Fordow two years ago, building on similar enrichment at the other site visited by Grossi, Natanz. This level, close to weapons-grade 90%, represented a significant escalation in its nuclear program.

Grossi’s trip to Tehran included meetings with key officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

President Pezeshkian signaled Iran’s willingness to cooperate with the IAEA to clarify ambiguities regarding its nuclear activities and again asserted the peaceful intentions of the program.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, warned that any resolution by the IAEA’s Board of Governors criticizing Iran’s nuclear program would prompt immediate retaliatory actions.

“We will not allow pressure to dictate the course of our peaceful nuclear activities,” Eslami said during a joint press conference with Grossi.

The IAEA’s Board of Governors is set to meet next week, and European powers are advocating for a resolution to increase scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear program and press Tehran to return to negotiations.

Simultaneously, the geopolitical landscape remains tense. Israeli strikes last month destroyed a nuclear weapons research facility in the Parchin military complex near Tehran, according to a report by Axios.

European powers, seeking to curb Iran’s nuclear advancements, are pushing for a comprehensive IAEA report detailing problem areas, including the discovery of unexplained uranium traces at undeclared sites.

Iranian state media, IRNA, emphasized the positive atmosphere during Grossi's visit, saying: "In Tehran, Grossi was met with goodwill from Iranian officials, who conveyed a message of readiness to negotiate and revive the path of constructive engagement."

This shift in tone is particularly striking given that just a year ago, Iran barred nearly one-third of the IAEA's monitoring team, a move Grossi described at the time as a severe impediment to oversight.

Tehran labeled the excluded inspectors as "extremists," further heightening tensions between Iran and the international community over its nuclear activities.

But, while Iran signals a willingness to cooperate, Washington remains wary.

“What we want to see from Iran is actual behavior change and action, not just signs of something or indications of something,” said Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson, adding that all options are on the table to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran’s diplomatic moves, including Grossi’s visit, appear aimed at de-escalating tensions ahead of the return of US President-elect Donald Trump, who is expected to adopt a hardline stance on Iran’s nuclear program.

The IAEA meeting next week may prove critical to gauge the direction of Iran’s nuclear program and any way forward for renewed negotiations.

Explosions which Syrian state news agency SANA said were Israeli airstrikes hit the Mazzeh area for the second day in a row and appeared to target personnel from Hezbollah and Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as well as leaders from Palestinian groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

While the specific targets of Friday’s strikes remain unclear, they follow a pattern of escalating action against Iran and its allies.

On Thursday, similar strikes in Mazzeh and nearby Qudsaya claimed fifteen lives, targeting military sites and Islamic Jihad’s headquarters.

The airstrikes occurred shortly before Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was scheduled to meet with Palestinian representatives at the Iranian Embassy in Mazzeh.

The escalation in Syria reflects a broader regional dynamic. On Tuesday, the United States conducted successive airstrikes on Iranian-backed militia facilities in eastern Syria in retaliation for attacks on US personnel.

These strikes, combined with the Pentagon’s deployment of additional air and naval assets to the region, indicate increasing US involvement in countering Iranian allies.

Simultaneously, Israeli forces expanded their operations beyond Damascus, targeting strategic infrastructure along the Syrian-Lebanese border. A bridge near Qusayr in Homs was destroyed to disrupt weapons transfers to Hezbollah, further intensifying pressure on Iranian-aligned groups.

While Israel has long carried out airstrikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria, the frequency and intensity of these operations have grown significantly since the October 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last year, which triggered the Gaza war.

Ali Larijani is a personal envoy of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his meetings with senior Lebanese officials come as the United States has stepped up efforts toward a ceasefire.

Larijani told reporters his presence was not aimed at obstructing that initiative.

"We are not looking to sabotage anything. We are after a solution to the problems," he said. "We support in all circumstances the Lebanese government."

Larijani met with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Hezbollah-aligned Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss a ceasefire, according to a tweet from the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon.

Larijani also carried a personal message from the Supreme Leader to Berri, according to Iranian state media, the contents of which were not disclosed.

Mikati, speaking on the same day, stressed Lebanon’s commitment to fully implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 without amendments. The resolution, adopted to end the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, calls for southern Lebanon to remain free of weapons outside state control.

Currently, a US-brokered proposal is under discussion that would require Hezbollah to relocate its forces and weapons north of the Litani River, about 18 miles from the Israeli border, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Lebanese military and United Nations peacekeepers would be tasked with preventing the group’s return. Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer briefed Donald Trump on the plan at Mar-a-Lago, with Trump endorsing the proposal and expressing hope for its implementation before his inauguration on January 20.

Meanwhile, Iran appears to be extending an olive branch—or at least a strategic handshake—on multiple fronts. Last month, the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament indicated Tehran’s willingness to negotiate with France to implement UN resolutions concerning southern Lebanon.

On Thursday, Iranian President Mohammad Pezeshkian expressed Iran’s willingness to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to address questions about its nuclear program.

A senior Iranian official said that Tehran would send a message to three European powers through visiting IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi emphasizing Iran’s seriousness about resolving its nuclear standoff with the West, Reuters reported Thursday.