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Today, Iran prepares for further U.S. escalation.

From Tehran accusations, from the Speaker of Parliament that the U.S. is preparing a ground offensive.

That's despite President Trump's talk of negotiations.

As things escalate in the region, what would Iran need to agree to a ceasefire?

I'm Kevin Horton, and this is The Take.

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Alex Fadaka, I'm a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., and I focus on Iranian affairs.

Alex, welcome to the take. So your work, as you said, you focus on Iran's relationship with the U.S. and its neighbors.

So you're a very good person to be talking to at this moment.

We're coming off another weekend of escalation,

right? Strikes on sites across the Gulf. Infrastructure in Iran is still being targeted.

Donald Trump saying out loud that he could take the oil in Iran. And oh, yes, there's this looming threat of American boots on the ground. So I feel like there's a lot of coverage of Donald Trump and his state of mind from day to day, how he might want to end the war.

But I'm hoping that our discussion can focus mainly on Iran itself.

And one thing I keep reading is that the war is continuing because both sides feel they're winning.

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