US-Iran relations lecture features noted scholar

Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, will present a lecture, “The U.S. and Iran: Losing and Making an Enemy,” on Nov. 13 at 4 p.m. in the Watkins Room of the Trone Student Center at Furman University. The event is open to the public.

Parsi, a past president of the National Iranian American Council, has also authored several books, including “Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy,” and “A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama’s Diplomacy with Iran.”

“Americans know astonishingly little about U.S.-Iran relations,” says Akan Malici, professor of Politics and International Affairs at Furman. “For example, they do not know that it is the U.S. that carries primary responsibility for the often-hostile relationship we have with Iran. Without a better understanding of U.S.-Iran relations, the American people can be misled into supporting policies that are bad for the Middle East and for America. Our audience will be interested in hearing about these issues from an internationally renowned authority on the subject.”

Parsi’s talk is part of Furman’s Cultural Life Program. It is sponsored by the Department of Politics and International Affairs.