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Hidden Forces

The Iran War and the Limits of American Power | Joshua Landis

Hidden Forces

Demetri Kofinas

Business, Government

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 5 March 2026

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In Episode 466 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Joshua Landis, professor of Middle East Studies and director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, about the US-Israel war against Iran, what it reveals about American strategy in the region, and why the absence of a clear theory of victory raises the specter of yet another catastrophic regime-change war in the Middle East.

Kofinas and Landis examine the competing narratives surrounding the conflict — from the argument that the Trump administration was dragged into war by Israel, to the theory that Washington concluded Iran would never voluntarily relinquish its nuclear program, to speculation that the campaign is part of a broader grand strategy aimed at neutralizing a Chinese forward base in the Middle East ahead of Trump's summit with Xi Jinping.

They also discuss why Iran's regime is far more institutionalized and resilient than the Arab governments the United States has previously sought to topple, the historical lessons of America's last four regime-change wars — Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya — and why the pattern of civil war, refugee crises, and strategic blowback that followed each of those interventions is likely to repeat itself in a country of over 90 million people.

The conversation closes with an examination of the broader regional realignment now underway, including the emerging Turkey-Saudi axis taking shape in response to Israeli dominance, the dangerous irony of simultaneously abandoning the Syrian Kurds while attempting to arm the Kurds of northern Iran, and the most plausible optimistic and pessimistic scenarios for how this conflict ultimately resolves.

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Episode Recorded on 03/04/2026

Transcript

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0:00.0

What's up, everybody? My name is Demetri Gaffinus, and you're listening to Hidden Forces,

0:06.0

a podcast that inspires investors, entrepreneurs, and everyday citizens, to challenge consensus

0:12.3

narratives, and learn how to think critically about the systems of power shaping our world.

0:18.0

My guest in this episode of Hidden Forces is Joshua Landis, the director of

0:22.3

the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, who was brought up in

0:26.6

Beirut, Lebanon, and has lived over 14 years in the Middle East. This is a special,

0:32.2

abbreviated episode, one of several I'm publishing in quick succession to capture the views

0:37.2

of different guests on the

0:38.4

rapidly evolving U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran. The conversation that follows,

0:44.6

Joshua and I discuss the objectives and competing strategic narratives behind the bombing,

0:49.4

the 21st century history of America's attempts to remake the Middle East and why each has ended in civil

0:55.0

war and regional destabilization, the risks of fragmenting a country of 92 million people

1:00.6

along ethnic and sectarian lines, the role of the Kurds and the implications for Turkey,

1:06.2

the emerging regional realignment taking shape amid Israel's growing dominance and where things go from here.

1:12.9

If you want access to the transcripts and intelligence reports for this and other episodes,

1:17.6

which includes summary sections of key takeaways, you can access those by subscribing to

1:22.2

our super nerd tier at hiddenforces.io slash subscribe, where you can also join in on the conversation by becoming

1:29.9

a member of the Hidden Forces Genius community, which includes Q&A calls with guests, discounted

1:35.7

access to third-party research and analysis, and in-person events like our intimate dinners,

1:40.7

and weekend retreats. If you still have questions, feel free to send an email to info at hiddenforces.io.

1:48.5

And I or someone from our team will get right back to you.

1:52.9

And with that, please enjoy this extremely timely and important conversation with my guest,

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