Why Iran Holds the Better Hand Against the US Right Now | Dr. Mike Bosack episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 25, 2026 · 1H 11M

Why Iran Holds the Better Hand Against the US Right Now | Dr. Mike Bosack

from The Afterburn Podcast · host Mike "Flash" McVay

Today we break down why the US-Iran war reignited over the Strait of Hormuz, why the June ceasefire collapsed, and what a waterway a single drone can shut means for oil prices, escalation, and how this conflict actually ends. Mike "FLASH" McVay sits down with Dr. Michael Bosack, founder of the Parley Policy Initiative and former Deputy Secretary of the UN Command Military Armistice Commission, to make sense of the current escalation. The conversation covers the five ways wars actually end, the difference between a negative and a positive peace, the good, bad, and ugly of the memorandum of understanding that was supposed to stop the fighting, why the Strait of Hormuz was the flaw nobody was talking about, and why negotiation at this level is a game of poker, not chess. Dr. Mike Bosack: https://www.parleypolicy.com/ Subscribe to Afterburn Defense for tactical and technical breakdowns of the news that matters, and subscribe to The Lowdown newsletter at lowdownnews.us. 00:00 Intro 01:40 Bosack's path: maintenance, MQ-9s, and the Korean Armistice 06:36 What the Parley Policy Initiative actually does 10:10 Phases 4 and 5: the "now what" nobody plans for 14:39 The five ways every war ends 19:57 Negative peace vs positive peace 22:45 Inside the negotiating room: the war stories 31:09 The US-Iran ceasefire deal: good, bad, ugly 36:40 Why the Strait of Hormuz is the real crux 44:26 Why it's not really about the nukes 48:56 How allies complicate the deal 55:26 Negotiation is poker, not chess 01:05:41 How this ends: the range of outcomes Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Why Iran Holds the Better Hand Against the US Right Now | Dr. Mike Bosack

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