Haass: Neither Iran Nor U.S. Has Incentive To Escalate Or Resume Fighting
Posted By Tim Hains
On Date April 17, 2026
Former CFR head Richard Haass said today on MS NOW's "Morning Joe" that he is cautiously optimistic as Israel and Lebanon begin a ten-day ceasefire, resolving one of the stumbling blocks between Iran and the US more than a week into their two-week ceasefire.
"At the risk of sounding optimistic, which isn’t something I ever do, I think there’s a logic that neither side has a rationale to escalate," he said. "If Iran escalates, what does it get them? Their energy facilities are vulnerable, and it doesn’t help their economy. If we escalate, Iran still has the option of attacking the energy facilities of every one of its neighbors."
"So I think, in a funny sort of way, we’ve run out of targets, and the logic of this war is increasingly gone."
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/04/17/haass_at_risk_of_sounding_optimistic_neither_iran_or_us_wants_to_see_war_resume_or_escalate.html
