SCOTT HORTON : Russia retaliates Ukraine drone strikes w/ 11 Hour Barrage on Kyiv

Nuclear risk is back in the headlines, but the scariest part is how casually powerful people talk about “testing limits.” We sit down with Scott Horton to unpack why the Ukraine war keeps inching toward wider conflict, how drone strikes and long range weapons blur lines, and why the old mutually assured destruction mindset has been dangerously inverted. When deterrence becomes a dare instead of a warning, a single misread on a radar screen can matter more than anyone’s carefully written strategy.Then we pivot to Iran and the Middle East, where talk of a pause, an MOU, or a reset collides with hard realities: geography, logistics, missile deterrence, and the lack of any clean path to a decisive US or Israeli victory. We walk through what “options” actually mean when invasion is implausible, escalation is catastrophic, and negotiations are politically messy. Along the way, we connect the dots to US grand strategy, military bases, energy security, and the true cost of chasing regional dominance for decades.We also get into the domestic politics shaping what comes next, including the hawk versus restraint split inside the Republican coalition, the role of lobbying, and why the Gaza humanitarian disaster has shattered old information controls for many Americans. If you care about US foreign policy, NATO and Russia, the Iran conflict, Israel and Gaza, and the incentives that keep wars going, this is a sober and challenging listen. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest question you still have after listening.Chapter Markers0:00 Welcome And Scott Horton Intro1:45Ukraine Provocations And Escalation7:30 MAD Turned Into A License12:50 Slow Russian Gains And Autopilot Risk16:00 Odessa And Russia’s War Aims24:10 Iran Pause And No Good Options32:40 Bases, Oil, And Empire Costs37:40 Rubio, Vance, And 2028 Fault Lines44:00 Gaza Horror And Lobby Influence51:20 Syria’s Jihadist Turn And Blowback57:50 Courses, Books, And ClosingSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy