Episode: 953 Iran
Newt's World
Gingrich 360
4.6 • 6.4K Ratings
🗓️ 8 March 2026
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Newt talks with Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Iran Program. Their conversation provides insights into the evolving conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. They discuss the potential for leadership changes within Iran, questioning whether the current regime's Islamic theocratic structure can withstand external pressures and internal dissent. The role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is examined, as well as the strategic importance of maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz and the potential economic implications for China, given its reliance on Iranian oil. They conclude with a reflection on the strategic depth and resilience of the IRGC, emphasizing the need for sustained pressure to achieve meaningful change in Iran.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.5 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:08.6 | My guest today is Ben-Benthaliblu, |
| 0:11.7 | senior director for the Foundation for Defense of Democracy's Iran program, |
| 0:16.5 | where he oversees the depth of FDD's work on Iran, |
| 0:20.5 | in addition to serving a senior fellow, |
| 0:23.1 | specializing in Iranian security and political issues. I should say that I am a huge fan of the |
| 0:29.7 | foundation for the defense of democracies. They do remarkably sophisticated and effective work. |
| 0:35.9 | He's joining me today to discuss the evolving conflict |
| 0:39.7 | with the U.S. Israel versus Iran |
| 0:42.9 | and what we can expect in the coming days and weeks. |
| 0:46.8 | The United States. Benham welcome and thank you for joining me again on Nutsworld. |
| 1:05.7 | It's always a pleasure to be with you, sir, and that honor and thanks for the kind words you said about FED. |
| 1:11.0 | If you love what you do, you'd never work a day in your life. |
| 1:13.4 | Yeah, that's exactly right. |
| 1:15.0 | Other people think it's your hobby, and luckily you paid for it. |
| 1:18.0 | You are one of the leading experts, and you watch this every day. |
| 1:21.4 | Were you surprised when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes in a ram? |
| 1:26.6 | It really did feel, given the drumbeat |
| 1:29.5 | politically and militarily in 2026, as well as the multiple red lines President Trump had drawn |
| 1:35.4 | on the backdrop of the repressed protests in January of this year, that military action was a matter |
| 1:41.1 | of when and not if. And regardless of our analysis here in the West, |
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