Feb 26, 2026
Against the backdrop
of one of the largest US military deployments to the Middle
East since 2003, MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka joins hosts
Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to assess the
situation inside Iran on the eve of potential war. Weeks
after the Islamic Republic’s brutal crackdown on anti-government
protesters and as negotiations with the US fail to find
common ground, Donald Trump is reportedly weighing options for
military action against Iran. Vatanka breaks down the
regime’s strategic calculus, the current dynamics of Iran’s
opposition movement, and the likely domestic political consequences
of a military strike.
For more information, see Alex's co-authored article with
Sanam Vakil on Iran's divided opposition here and his analysis of the
regime's strategic calculus here.
Recorded on February 24, 2026.