The 12 Day War

That was a perfect time to take two weeks off from podcasting! Not that we think there’s a cause-effect situation at play here, but it is remarkable how a big Israel-Iran-U.S. air war kicked off the day after we weren’t available to talk about it. Yes, the strikes were quick, and the whole thing died down in under two weeks… but in no way do we think this is over. For one thing, Iran still retains 900 pounds of almost bomb-grade uranium; for another, there’s a mysterious new nuclear facility that would be impervious further conventional bombing from either the U.S. or Israel. Note carefully the word “conventional” in that sentence.To summarize: we have a pissed-off Iran with less incentive than ever to make a new nuclear deal with the U.S., a militarily ascendent Israel that will be willing to do practically anything to secure or destroy that stockpile of missing uranium, and a distracted U.S. led by a President who’s hunting for his Nobel. What could possibly go wrong from here?Chapters and time stamps: 00:43 Escalation in the Middle East04:11 Details of the Airstrikes10:38 Speculations and Future Implications30:08 Iran's Domestic Opposition and Potential Uprising31:51 Historical Context and Challenges of Regime Change35:13 Iran's Nuclear Ambitions and Regional Dynamics50:38 Book Corner: Economic Insights and Predictions This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit globaltantrum.substack.com