The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal meets top Iranian analyst and journalist Seyed Mostafa Khoshcheshm in Tehran on July 9, moments after the US resumed airstrikes on Iran, and as the funeral procession for the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proceeded through Iraq. Blumenthal asks Khoshcheshm what the red flags of revenge seen throughout the funeral procession signify, and whether the many public calls for targeting the US president and his inner circle as retaliation for Khamenei's assassination, and the killings of other top Iranian leaders, are to be taken seriously. Khoshcheshm explains why he sees a massive regional war over the horizon, and why this war may eventually reach the United States due to Trump's reckless behavior and "betrayal" of his own regional allies. Seyed Mostafa Khoshcheshm has taught at a number of Iranian universities and academic centers, including the International Relations Faculty of the Iranian Foreign Ministry. You're currently a free subscriber to The Grayzone. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. © 2026 The Grayzone |