School of War

Ray Takeyh, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Last Shah: America, Iran, and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, joins the show to talk about the origins, evolution, and possible future of the Islamic Republic of Iran. What forces produced the 1979 revolution, and how did it reshape Iran’s political and religious order? What are the psychological and sociological impacts of this revolution? How have the regime’s leaders interpreted and sustained the revolutionary project, and what have the major challenges been? As Iran enters a new and uncertain phase under Mojtaba Khamenei, can the Islamic Republic endure, or is there a potential for future revolution in Iran?

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Times

02:07 Living through the Islamic Revolution

04:12 A diverse Iran     

05:50 How did the revolution succeed? 

14:06 Khomeini & Khamenei

20:46 Too cautious 

22:35 Dynastic succession  

34:00 Iran vs. Venezuela

38:35 Regime resiliency 

44:30 Beginning of the end  

50:14 Threshold states

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Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at FDD and retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, joins the show to provide in-depth analysis of the Iran conflict. Mark gives his thoughts on naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, including their strategic implications for the progress of the war. He also discusses drone warfare, missile defense, and the broader geopolitical context. Mark also explains how Ukraine and Russia are playing growing parts in the war.

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Times

02:30 A constant menace

07:34 Radar and THAAD     

11:06 Hormuz

20:26 Real deterrence 

31:36 Russian targeting 

38:38 Conservation of resources  

46:03 Life at sea

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General Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie Jr,  USMC (ret.), commanded US Central Command from 2019-2022. Gen. McKenzie led a distinguished 42 year career in the US Marine Corps, commanding at multiple levels and serving on the Joint Staff. In this in-depth conversation, General McKenzie shares his insights on the recent U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, strategic mistakes by Iran, and the prospects for regime change. He gives a full breakdown of Iran's military capabilities, regional dynamics, and possible future scenarios.

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Times

03:45 Iranian response 

07:40 Ballistic missiles     

19:06 Defeating drones

22:20 Soleimani

30:31 Iranian miscalculation 

32:48 War was never inevitable  

36:18 Outcomes

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Fred Kagan, senior fellow and director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, joins the show to discuss the war, what Ukraine can do to help the Gulf with drone defense, and the future of the Islamic Republic.

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01:51 Updates

03:29 Iranian strikes 

09:15 Munitions crisis    

14:28 Innovation

18:45 Isolated and weak

25:12 Arming the opposition

30:55 A dangerous game 

36:22 10/7 

40:21 Turkey

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Mike Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, joins the show to bring us the latest breakdown on the war and how long this may go on.

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Times

01:52 Where are things going?

05:45 Rational strikes 

09:56 A weakened positioned   

16:33 Lasting change

20:13 What comes next?

26:40 Regional war

30:28 Integration 

38:30 The Decider 

47:32 Futures 

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