Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of Left podcast. Today we examine how four months of American bombardment accomplished what decades of diplomacy never could, making Iran, still run by oppressive theocrats, a regional superpower. An Iranian woman told a reporter she endured the bombing hoping it would topple the regime.

Instead, it entrenched it. For those looking for a quick overview, the sources providing our top

takes in about 55 minutes today include On the Media, Heather Cox Richardson, The Daily Blast,

Un-Effing the Republic, The Current, and Takes by Jamel Bowie. Then, in the additional deeper dives half of the show, there will be more in four sections.

Section A, the deal itself, Section B, the Strategic Loss, Section C, Voices from the Region,

and Section D, When the Strong Man Fails.

And now, on to the show.

Music man fails. And now, on to the show. So tell me about the line in the dark night rises that this U.S. Iran tentative,

non-binding memorandum of understanding reminded you of?

I thought of the opening scene in which the villains take

over a plane while flying another plane above it. And before they let it fall to the ground, all of the

henchmen are linking them up to the cables to escape. And Bain puts his hand on the shoulder of one of

them and says, no.

No. They expect one of us in the wreckage brother.

They expect one of us in the wreckage brother.

And he just kind of nods and falls down with the plane.

And this is what's happening here.

It happens all the time with Trump, is that he can never fail.

He is only failed by others.

Somebody either willingly becomes the fall guy, Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro,

literally went to prison for Donald Trump, or they become the fall guy because they accidentally walked into it and then they find themselves with no way out. And it was

very apparent early on this week when details of the deal started leaking. And you could tell

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