Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning The Wolves of Wall Street - How Trump & Co are making billions from the Iran war
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Mar 26, 2026 They investigate suspicious oil market trades timed to Trump’s sudden peace claims and ask who profited. They unpack Iran’s low-cost drone tactics versus expensive US defenses and how oil revenue and China reshape the balance. They explore the risks of escalating conflict, regional vulnerabilities, and how political and regulatory failures may let insiders benefit.
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Markets Drove Trump's Desire To End The War
- Donald Trump moved quickly to end the Iran conflict because collapsing markets and rising oil prices threatened his political and financial interests.
- Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning argue Trump's priority was markets and donors, not humanitarian or strategic gains, which made Iran's strategy to prolong the conflict effective.
Cheap Drones Create Cost Asymmetry
- Iran used low-cost DIY drones to inflict strategic damage while forcing the US to expend far more expensive interceptors.
- Brolly cites styrofoam drones with petrol engines (~$80) versus US missiles costing around $250,000, highlighting an asymmetry that drains American resources.
Bombardment Produces Solidarity Not Collapse
- Bombardment tends to produce national solidarity rather than collapse regimes, helping Iran rally popular support.
- Brolly compares World War II British morale and says Iranian society pulled together under external attack, undermining regime-change aims.