This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler
News:Politics
Iran – America’s arch-enemy and the Middle East’s malign “mini-Imperial power” – fans conflicts from Ukraine to Israel to Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon, and is said to be only weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon. But the Islamic Revolution is under sustained attack from within, under the banner of ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’. Can Iran maintain its hardline power in the Muslim world? What do its second- and third-generation revolutionaries want? And can the West contain them?
Gavin Esler talks to Arash Azizi, author of What Iranians Want, and Barbara Slavin, author of Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies, to explore the basis of Iranian power – and how Donald Trump wrecked what trust there was between the US and Iran.
• “Iran is now more of a military regime than a theocracy… The Revolutionary Guard and Khameini’s family are calling the shots.” – Barbara Slavin
• “It’s not about religion any more. It’s about a bunch of goons who are willing to rule over your life in any way they want.” – Arash Azizi
• “Iran today is internationally isolated and economically destroyed… The Islamic Republic has taken our country hostage and made it a foreign policy tool for an ideology.” – Arash Azizi
• “Trump not only destroyed any basis of trust between the US and Iran, he destroyed confidence in the US as being a state that lives up to its commitments.” – Barbara Slavin
Buy these and others books through our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund This Is Not A Drill by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too.
Support This Is Not A Drill on Patreon to get early episodes, merchandise and more.
Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ukraine vs Russia: Are “peace talks” just a Putin trap?
Dire Straits – After Taiwan’s election, could China attempt a stealth takeover?
🚨 UPDATE 🚨 Red Sea latest as airstrikes hit Yemen
Iran, the Houthis and war in the Red Sea explained – Special edition with The Bunker
The Final Countdown: Can anything stop Trump? – with Brian Klaas of UCL
2024: A dangerous year ahead – with former National Security Adviser Peter Ricketts
Putin wants to spread chaos in Europe. Here’s how he’ll do it
Exodus and revelations: The truth about migration – with Prof Hein de Haas
Are we stumbling into World War Three?
Ukraine in stalemate: What Kyiv needs in order to win – with Oz Katerji
The Israel/Hamas War: Netanyahu’s crisis, Iran’s opportunity
New Series: Twelve months to save American democracy?
This Is Not A Drill – the new name for Doomsday Watch
On the Edge At the NATO Summit
Chaos in the Kremlin
Emergency Bulletin - Götterdämmerung: Wagner’s Coup
The Ukraine War Ep. 8: The World At War
The Ukraine War Ep. 7: New World Disorder
The Ukraine War Ep. 6: Defiance
The Ukraine War Ep. 5: Russia Humiliated
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free