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Category Archives: Iran
David Ignatius: Iran’s Islamic Republic 2.0 is coming — and it won’t be pretty
From his Washington Post column: How Trump’s tactical victory could turn into a forever war. Maybe the answer to the gut question “So how does this end?” in Iran is simple: It doesn’t. Not for a long while… If there’s … Continue reading
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Why Are Journalists Embracing ‘Goldilocks’ Descriptions?
The word “Goldilocks” comes from a 19th-century fairy tale in which a girl tests three versions of the same thing and finds the middle option just right. The porridge is neither too hot nor too cold. The bed is neither … Continue reading
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What are the strongest America First arguments for and against attacking Iran?
The strongest America First case for attacking Iran rests on five arguments, though not all of them hold equal weight. The first is prevention. Iran is the only hostile state in the Middle East capable of going nuclear and dominating … Continue reading
Iran & Israel Share Some Responsibility For The Actions Of Their Proxies
I just watched a 2024 Finnish mini-series Conflict. Wikipedia says: “The series imagines a scenario where an unidentified enemy invades Hankoniemi during midsummer celebrations, and follows the resulting conflict through the lens of the country’s leadership and among those who … Continue reading
Words, Words, Words & The Iran War
David Pinsof writes: How do we figure out who the baddies are? Usually, we pay attention to whether they’re saying the right things. Are they saying things that make us nod and applaud? Or are they saying things that make … Continue reading
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Charting Expert Shifts On The Iran War
Grok says: Key recent dramatic/expert-noted shifts include:Severe degradation of Iran’s offensive capabilities — US-Israeli strikes have destroyed or heavily damaged a large portion of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, production facilities (e.g., Esfahan Missile Complex), drone bases, and air defenses. Reports … Continue reading
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Decoding Trita Parsi & Vali Nasr
In 2026, the contrast between Vali Nasr and Trita Parsi has sharpened as the war in Iran tests their respective theories of engagement. Both men find themselves marginalized by the “Shock and Awe” momentum of the Trump-Netanyahu alliance, yet they … Continue reading
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What might be the best historic parallels to the current Iran War?
The current conflict sits at the intersection of several historical war types, and no single precedent fits perfectly. The closest parallels come from conflicts where the goal was not occupation but coercion, infrastructure destruction, or regime weakening. The 1991 Gulf … Continue reading
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JPOST: Iran regime change not military goal, creating conditions for it is
The Jerusalem Post’s elite military correspondent, Yonah Jeremy Bob, writes: The defense sources noted that tackling Iran’s ballistic missile threat was among the military’s primary goals in the war. As doubts about the prospect of imminent regime change in Iran … Continue reading
Karim Sadjadpour – Sensemaker of the Iran Aftermath
In the framework of Alliance Theory, Karim Sadjadpour is the High Priest of the Transition Server. As a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a frequent collaborator with Ian Bremmer, he acts as the primary sensemaker … Continue reading
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