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Scott Anderson argues the U.S. is responsible for creating the Iranian regime it now seeks to topple, stemming from a decades-old hatred rooted in America's role in the 1953 coup and the Shah's Westernization.
In 1953, the CIA orchestrated a coup to overthrow Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and restore the Shah after Britain convinced the U.S. Mossadegh was soft on communism, a false claim.
Khomeini was arrested in 1963 after clerical riots against the Shah's reforms, then exiled in 1964 after continuing his attacks, which the U.S. saw as a sign of the Shah's backbone and began embracing him.
In May 1972, President Nixon gave the Shah a 'blank check' for any non-nuclear weapons, appointing Iran as the U.S. military policeman in the Middle East under the Nixon Doctrine.
American diplomats in Iran were forbidden from engaging with opposition figures to avoid upsetting the Shah, creating an echo chamber that missed the building revolution, exemplified by a CIA officer unaware of the 1978 Tabriz riots.
Mark Levin criticizes President Trump for publicly bashing Israeli PM Netanyahu, arguing it undermines an ally. The hosts also discuss a defense bill provision for deeper US-Israel military tech integration.
A Senate intelligence authorization act would permanently elevate Israeli intelligence to a 'trusted partner' level akin to the Five Eyes, forcing future US presidents to share sensitive intelligence and removing their ability to restrict it.
Mohammad Marandi argued the US has already lost the war, stating Iran defeated a superpower coalition over 39 days and wants to make future conflict with Iran unthinkable for American strategists.
Marandi said Iran wants any US-negotiated agreement implemented on paper before concessions, citing past US cheating under Obama, and prefers indirect negotiations via Pakistan over direct talks.
A report from Homuaj Media in Tehran cited a political insider claiming a draft agreement mediated by Qatar is finalized, with renewed US violence providing Trump political cover to accept a deal he could frame as coerced.
Leo Marani describes Indian state leaders taking symbolic austerity measures - riding metros, cycling, walking - after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged conservation to address economic strain from Middle East conflicts.
China has swap lines established with 185 countries, reducing the coercive power of US dollar swap lines and giving countries like the UAE leverage to negotiate.
Carlson contends the war reveals the limits of American military, economic, and moral power. The U.S. cannot open the Strait of Hormuz despite its military budget.
Carlson claims the U.S. has abandoned moral pretense by openly assassinating leaders like General Soleimani, bombing civilian infrastructure like a girls' school, and threatening nuclear strikes without apology.
Mearsheimer predicts Russia will win in Ukraine, leaving it a dysfunctional rump state, while wrecking NATO and damaging the U.S.-European transatlantic relationship.
Mearsheimer warns of a serious risk of nuclear escalation in Ukraine, as Russia views Ukrainian attacks on its homeland and strategic nuclear triad as an existential threat.
Mearsheimer explains the unipolar moment led the U.S. to oppose any challenger like Putin, and current policy aims to knock Russia out of the ranks of great powers, a dangerously provocative goal.
Mearsheimer and Carlson criticize dual loyalty, arguing immigrants must transfer allegiance to the U.S. and condemning Americans who lobby for foreign countries like Israel or Cuba.
Matt Bivens reports that on December 28th, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Ukraine attempted to assassinate him and his family with drones at their Valdai compound. Putin later released video of crashed drones and a flight map allegedly showing 91 Ukrainian drones.
Donald Trump initially validated Putin's claim on December 29th, stating Putin told him about the attack. The CIA later briefed Trump it never happened, leading him to publicly doubt the story. Bivens argues this suggests the CIA gave the president false briefings.
In a June 4th letter to Putin, President Zelensky referenced the security of Putin's Valdai residence, which analysts interpret as an implicit confirmation of the attack. Zelensky had previously called the incident a fabrication.
Rojas notes that under Biden, about three million Cubans left the island, with half coming to the US, many through Nicaragua after it removed visa requirements. Nicaragua reinstated visas as a gesture to the Trump administration, but was still sanctioned.
Ryan Grim reports President Trump claimed an Iranian Shahed drone lodged between two Apache pilots, forcing them to ditch in the Strait of Hormuz where they were rescued by a sea drone.
President Trump's weekend negotiations with Iran aimed only at a memorandum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, not at resolving core issues like Iran's nuclear or missile programs.
A key US demand in negotiations is the removal or destruction of Iran's near-bomb-grade uranium stockpile, which Iran resists citing rights under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.
Trump's tone shifted from optimistic deal announcements to attacking critics after a senior official revealed no document existed for Iran's supreme leader to sign and no mechanism for uranium disposal was agreed.
Trump's sudden demand that Arab countries sign the Abraham Accords complicated negotiations, serving both to mollify Republican critics and project a grand Middle East remake despite many countries' lack of interest.
David Sanger compares the Iran negotiation approach to the Gaza deal, where easy issues were settled first but hard ones like disarming Hamas remain unresolved months later.
Trump soft-greenlit Israeli retaliatory strikes on Iran despite public statements urging de-escalation. The private phone call with Netanyahu was calm, with Trump assenting to a limited response.
Robert Pape argues Iran has moved from survival to ambition, establishing itself as a fourth regional world power. It is extending a security umbrella via its 'Axis of Resistance' allies like Hezbollah and the Houthis.