Welcome to the Dispatch Podcast. I'm David Francher, host today, and today's topic is going to be

Iran, Russia, and the possibility of regime change in Iran.

We've got a phenomenal guest today, Frederick Kagan from the American Enterprise Institute,

part of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, and man, there's so

many things I could say about Fred Kagan working with General Stanley McChrystal and the strategic

assessment team in Afghanistan received the Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest

honor the chairman of the Joint Chiefs can present to civilians who don't work for the Department

of Defense, one of the architects of the surge in Iraq, which by the way I served in during with

the third armored cavalry regiment in 0708, in which we were one of our sayings about coin

counterinsurgency strategy was that you were advocating as part of the surge that was the phrase

we use, it sucks, but it works. In other words, it's really tough, but it's also very effective,

but we're not going to be talking about Iraq, we're not going to be talking about Afghanistan,

we're going to be talking about Russia and Iran and mainly Iran. And so what we want to do is

just start with some table setting and basic explanation and go from there, but first,

welcome to the dispatch podcast. Well, thanks so much for having me. Great to be with you.

It's so great to have you. Well, let's start with a very basic question.

What right now is happening between Russia and Iran with an emphasis on what is happening between

Russia and Iran as it relates to the war in Ukraine? Personally, Iranians obviously have had

and on time for many years and that on time has been based on how positioned to the US,

opposition to the US led international order and a desire to establish, you know,

honestly a much more hapsy in world where states, you know, can do what they want.

And at least strong states can and we, if your states have to put up with it. So they've

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