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Fyodor Lukyanov is Chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy, a Research Professor at the Higher School of Economics, and Editor in Chief of the Russia in Global Affairs Journal.Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nokBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL

Anthony Aguilar is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, a Special Forces Green Beret who served as a combat infantry officer for 25 years in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. Aguilar worked as an aid contractor for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), and became a whistleblower as he exposed the atrocities.Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Buy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nokSupport the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Midterm defeat and the political cost of the Iran war03:16 Trump’s blame game and possible White House departures09:10 Could Trump resign and leave Vance to take over?14:01 Iran’s defense-in-depth and air-defense systems19:29 Radar networks, interceptor stocks, and the attrition problem22:35 From the RQ-170 to Shahed and Lucas drones26:24 Ground invasion plans and the risks of a massive air campaign32:02 Why escalation could harden Iran’s negotiating position33:38 Potential Iranian retaliation and regional bases38:20 Political calculations, China’s intelligence role, and regional trust45:33 Rubio, Vance, and the expected shake-up among officials

Alastair Crooke is a former British diplomat and the Founder of the Conflicts Forum based in Beirut. He was formerly an advisor on Middle East issues to Javier Solana, the EU Foreign Policy Chief. Follow the Substack of Alastair Crooke: https://conflictsforum.substack.com/Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nokBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 How election results alter Trump and Netanyahu’s leverage04:07 Netanyahu’s coalition crisis and the incentives for war09:07 Iran’s nuclear status and Israeli military pushback11:55 Vance’s proposed reset: Iran, costs, and Ukraine14:51 The CIA’s independent campaign against Russia23:06 Israel’s divided institutions and October 7 scrutiny28:56 What a new Israeli government might change33:01 Why another Iran war remains possible38:11 MAGA’s antiwar turn and the paleoconservative case41:57 European austerity, Ukraine funding, and political legitimacy

Joe Kent is the former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned in March 2026 due to the war against Iran. Please like, subscribe & share!Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nokBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Kent says voters have rejected the Iran war03:02 Could Israel draw the U.S. back into the conflict?09:33 Iran’s retaliation risk and the limits of escalation14:03 Military capacity, blockade costs, and the nuclear danger20:19 How Gulf infrastructure could widen the war25:26 A shifting Middle East and the future of U.S. security guarantees32:32 Could Washington and Tehran cooperate against jihadists?37:24 Kent’s account of U.S. policy and unintended consequences42:33 Why Kent calls Iran pragmatic and negotiable45:10 Trump’s remaining opportunity to end the war

Judge Andrew Napolitano is a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge and the Host of Judging Freedom with Judge Napolitano.Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Introducing Judge Andrew Napolitano and the midterm question01:07 Napolitano reads the election as a repudiation of Trump05:28 How congressional control could constrain Trump09:05 Could funding cuts create an exit from the Iran war?11:47 A possible Middle East and Ukraine policy compromise14:55 Why Napolitano says America First fell short18:16 Who actually directs US foreign policy?21:18 The intelligence community’s reach and accountability24:25 Intelligence agencies and the military-industrial complex30:42 Trump, the JFK files, and the unanswered question of “they”

Douglas Macgregor is a retired Colonel, combat veteran, and former senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Germany’s political crisis and the AfD’s rise03:22 Energy costs, deindustrialization, and German sovereignty05:12 Wagenknecht, the AfD, and possible political alliances07:50 European nationalist movements and US influence10:27 Macgregor’s claims about US institutions and European politics13:26 Why he favors a more regional European order16:18 The limits of a unified European identity19:28 Regional security zones and the future of Europe21:30 Ukraine diplomacy and the US midterms25:51 US debt, the unipolar moment, and military priorities30:03 How drones and electronic warfare are changing combat33:27 Defense spending, inflation, and the case for retrenchment35:20 Tactical nuclear weapons and escalation risks38:09 Iran, US influence, and the Middle East’s future40:17 Turkey’s role as US influence recedes

Ambassador Chas Freeman was a former Assistant Secretary of Defense, earning the highest public service awards of the Department of Defense for his roles in designing a NATO-centred post-Cold War European security system and in reestablishing defence and military relations with China. He served as U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Read Chas Freeman's Substack: https://substack.com/@chasfreeman662157Books by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDLFollow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nok00:00 The midterms as a referendum on Trump04:32 Nuclear threats against Iran and the danger of proliferation09:06 What a Democratic gain could mean for US wars13:34 Democrats, Russia policy, and the Abu Dhabi talks16:30 Conflicting US signals on Ukraine and Iran25:12 Diplomatic prospects and Europe’s divided positions29:49 Israel’s election, Netanyahu, and changing US support36:52 Economic warning signs and declining US prestige45:10 What an anti-Trump vote does and does not mean

Pepe Escobar is a journalist, a political analyst, and author. Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nok Books by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Glenn Diesen introduces Pepe Escobar and Brazil’s election05:48 WhatsApp networks and voter mobilization09:30 Brazil’s election in the Western Hemisphere context14:27 Why Escobar says Brazil is strategically important17:02 The coalition Escobar sees behind Bolsonaro’s campaign21:13 Digital organizing, street protests, and political resistance23:11 Brazil’s role in BRICS and multipolarity26:08 Escobar’s account of Flávio Bolsonaro’s departure34:21 How US election politics could shape the next chapter36:10 Lula, Brazil’s foreign ministry, and BRICS policy40:28 Brazil’s political identity and Lula’s domestic challenges44:05 Possible pressure on Brazil and closing remarks

Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent who has covered more than 50 countries on five continents. Kinzer spent more than 20 years working for the New York Times, most of it as a foreign correspondent. Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nokBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Stephen Kinzer introduces *Boiling Point*02:14 Why the “unprovoked” label prompted Kinzer’s research08:02 Tracing U.S. covert involvement back to 194713:33 How anti-Russia thinking shaped U.S. policy22:05 The post-Cold War chance for a shared security order23:47 NATO expansion, electoral politics, and defense interests32:15 Maidan and the shift in U.S. policy toward Ukraine39:57 Alliance choice, security dilemmas, and the Mexico comparison45:05 Kinzer’s aim: put the history before readers46:00 “How did the poison get in the wine?”

Thomas Fazi is an Italian journalist and author focusing on economics and geopolitics.Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_Diesen Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GDiesen1 Support the research: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesen Buy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdieseng Go Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012f Books by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Thomas Fazi on European politics and hybrid warfare02:18 Why Fazi calls hybrid warfare a dangerously vague concept05:05 A counter-database of disputed Russian-war claims08:26 Baltic cables, a Lithuania plane crash, and Heathrow12:15 The drone-sighting wave and what investigations found16:05 Stray drones, the von der Leyen claim, and evidence18:02 Nord Stream and the consequences of misattribution23:24 Threat narratives, domestic politics, and rearmament28:06 Information warfare, censorship, and Romania’s election30:01 Gladio and the danger of manufactured threats35:58 RussiaGate and the persistence of disputed claims42:09 Public opinion, propaganda, and rising repression risks

Trita Parsi is the co-founder and Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Follow his excellent Substack: https://tritaparsi.substack.com/Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nokBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Trita Parsi on the midterms and Iran war risks01:02 How a congressional shift could change Trump’s calculations05:56 What a third round of fighting could involve10:49 Could Israel strike Iran, and what could follow?15:48 Iran’s warning of no red lines and a wider theater21:15 When European defensive support becomes participation23:05 Russia, China, and Iran’s air-defense preparations25:07 JD Vance’s letter and the opening for diplomacy31:05 Vance’s anti-war constituency and White House divisions35:42 How internal disputes could derail a deal38:59 The blockade, oil revenues, and the proposed short-term MOU

Prof. Seyed Mohammad Marandi is a professor at Tehran University and a former advisor to Iran's nuclear negotiation team. Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Glenn Diesen clip channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Prof.GlennDiesenClipsSupport the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Introduction and Context of Current Tensions02:50 Iran's Intelligence and Military Preparedness10:09 Consequences of Potential Conflict13:08 Iran's Strategic Moves and US Midterm Elections18:05 Negotiation Dynamics and Off-Ramps24:49 Potential Outcomes and Global Implications27:48 The Escalating Tensions in the Middle East31:22 The Political Landscape in Israel36:31 The Regional Chessboard: Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Beyond41:09 The Future of U.S. Influence in the Middle East49:57 The Global Implications of U.S. Foreign Policy

Einar Tangen is a Senior Fellow at Teihe Institute and a Senior Fellow at CIGI. Einar Tangen's Substack: https://substack.com/@asianarratives Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nokBooks by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Introducing Einar Tangen and China’s fifth plenum02:40 Anti-corruption and the question of political legitimacy08:10 Prescriptive versus performative governance13:27 Western politics, planning, and recurring promises21:30 Ideological certainty versus a willingness to learn25:10 China’s shift toward shared gains and social development31:31 Environmental rights, consumption, and small business34:25 Digital tools and opening international markets to SMEs38:15 AI productivity and the prospect of shorter workweeks42:07 Markets, extraction, and public investment44:37 Dollar alternatives, US debt, and economic vulnerability

John Kiriakou is a former high-ranking CIA counterterrorism officer who served as the CIA’s Chief of Counterterrorism Operations in Pakistan. He was the first U.S. official to publicly confirm the CIA’s torture of detainees. Punished for his whistleblowing, he served nearly two years in federal prison. Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nok Books by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 John Kiriakou on the CIA and the War on Terror01:16 How 9/11 transformed the CIA05:15 How intelligence officers recruit informants08:03 Covert action, propaganda, and regime change11:29 Ukraine, Yanukovych, and Western involvement19:14 Iran, Mossad networks, and the limits of intervention25:03 From Iran-Contra to an increasingly militarized CIA27:02 USAID, civil society, and covert-action funding33:27 The moment Kiriakou rejected torture38:36 CIA relations with Israel and intelligence oversight42:09 The deep state, election narratives, and Russia Gate52:25 What remains hidden and where the CIA is headed

George Beebe is the former CIA Director for Russia Analysis and currently Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute. Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/Glenn_DiesenPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/glenndiesen Support the research by Prof. Glenn Diesen: PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/glenndiesenBuy me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/gdiesengGo Fund Me: https://gofund.me/09ea012fBuy Diesen merchandise: https://diesen-shop.fourthwall.com/en-nok Books by Prof. Glenn Diesen: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B09FPQ4MDL00:00 Introduction and Context of the Ukraine Conflict05:35 Diverging Expectations in Diplomatic Talks15:45 The Complexity of European Security Architecture25:17 The Role of NATO and Future Security Guarantees30:45 Negotiation Dynamics and the Need for Unity35:46 Final Thoughts on the Future of the Conflict