The Lurking Escalation with Iran & the Future of the Mideast: Tamir Hayman

Michael speaks with the former Chief of the IDF Intelligence Directorate Maj. Gen. (res.) Tamir Hayman about the increasing likelihood of military action against Iran's missile program. Gen. Hayman—who serves as Executive Director of the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)—analyzes the complex regional "reshuffle," explaining how Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its position through a rapprochement with Iran while distancing itself from the UAE and Israel. Gen. Hayman also offers his forecast on the future of Hamas and Gaza, and the broader outlook for regional stability.

Michael speaks with Gregory Brew, Senior Analyst at the Eurasia Group and country analyst for Iran, about the high-stakes decision facing the Islamic Republic: "strikes or talks." Greg analyzes the upcoming diplomatic summit in Istanbul, where the U.S. is pushing for "maximalist concessions" regarding Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile stockpile, and regional proxy networks like Hamas and Hezbollah. Greg also discusses the strategic leverage of the recent U.S. naval buildup in the Middle East and whether these talks are a deliberate pretext for military action against Tehran. Greg also breaks down Iran's internal "credibility crisis" and the future of regional stability. 

Michael speaks with Richard Goldberg, a Senior Advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Director for Countering Iranian WMD at the National Security Council. Rich provides a masterclass on the historical and modern context of Iranian protest movements, explaining why the most recent uprising is fundamentally different from previous ones. He breaks down the regime's playbook of violence—including internet blackouts and brute force—while examining the strategic failures of past U.S. administrations. Rich also discusses the outlook for the Islamic Republic in the coming weeks and whether the regime can survive its own internal contradictions and increasing international isolation.

Michael speaks with former Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman about the precarious state of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the latest wave of mass protests there. Jeff analyzes the regime's use of brutality, coercion, and a total internet blackout to quiet the streets, while arguing that survival does not equal success. Jeffrey also discusses the economic catastrophe Iran faces, the strategic ambiguity surrounding the White House's next moves following new sanctions, and the outlook for regional instability.

Michael Allen speaks with Dr. Ryan Berg, Director of the Americas Program and Head of the Future of Venezuela Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), about the stunning aftermath of the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. Ryan breaks down the high-stakes Delta Force raid that successfully captured Nicolas Maduro for trial in New York—an operation that lasted only two hours. Dr. Berg also explores the strategic necessity of the U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean and the administration's new oil policy, which involves the U.S. marketing Venezuelan oil to benefit both nations. Finally, Dr. Berg takes a closer look at the broader implications for regional security and the immense challenges of managing the transition in a post-Maduro Caracas.  

In this special episode marking one million downloads for the podcast, Jeremy Bash speaks with David Shedd, former acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, about the "breathtaking" US military operation in Venezuela over the weekend. They discuss the high-stakes mission to capture Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, to face trial for narco-terrorism in the US. David explores the complex rationale behind the raid—from narco-trafficking charges to the underlying goal of regime change—and explains why Maduro's security forces offered such little resistance despite weeks of US military pre-staging. He also discusses the "murky" aftermath of the operation and its global impact.

Michael speaks with Craig Singleton, China Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, about the new frontiers of the US-China tech competition. Craig explains China's willingness to weaponize its dominance in rare earth magnets and how that leverage has left US assembly lines vulnerable. He also explores the high-stakes debate over semiconductor export controls, including a controversial profit-sharing deal for NVIDIA's H20 chips with the US government. Finally, Craig discusses the Chinese "five lever playbook" used to dominate critical sectors like polysilicon, LIDAR, and display technologies, warning of "strategic kill switches" in US infrastructure and the emerging national security threat of biotech.

Michael speaks with Yaakov Katz, former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post and author of the new book While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East. Yaakov discusses how the catastrophic intelligence failure leading up to October 7th was rooted in a moment of "lack of imagination" and Israel's fatal commitment to the misbelief that Hamas wanted quiet prosperity, not war. He connects this failure to Israel's dangerous over-reliance on technology. Yaakov also breaks down how Gaza helped elevate the profile of Qatar as a major regional diplomatic power.  

Michael speaks with Roger Zakheim, the Washington Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, about the recently released National Security Strategy and the findings of the Reagan National Defense Survey of American public opinion. Although Roger critiques the National Security Strategy for a "huge missed opportunity" in failing to explicitly name China and Russia as adversaries, he highlights that a supermajority of Americans view China as the greatest threat and would support committing U.S. forces to defend Taiwan if China were to invade. Roger also discusses the strong public positioning on support for NATO and defense engagement beyond the Americas.

Michael speaks with former acting Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency David Shedd and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense of Western Hemisphere Affairs Jana Nelson about US strikes on narcotraffickers in Latin America and whether the Trump Administration is closing in on attacks on Venezuela. They discuss what could be next for the Maduro regime and potential US targets in Venezuela, including arms facilities in remote areas. Jana and David also discuss the regional reaction to the rising tensions and how it ties into US politics, including in South Florida.