Ask Haviv Anything 101: Will Trump finish the job in Iran? With Prof. Dan Schueftan
30 snips
Mar 25, 2026 
Dan Schueftan, Israeli academic and strategist on Middle Eastern security, returns to unpack Iran’s regional role and the stakes of a possible deal. They discuss Iran’s use of proxies and martyrdom ideology. Conversation covers threats to the Strait of Hormuz, Israel’s escalation-for-deterrence approach, whether Iran can be broken without occupation, and how Western will and policy choices shape the outcome.
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How Iran Seeks Regional Immunity
- Iran's strategy aims for regional domination by combining cheap asymmetric weapons, ballistic missiles, and proxy networks to gain immunity short of nuclear status.
- Dan Schueftan warns this could let Tehran control Middle East resources and holy sites, amplifying cultural and geopolitical influence beyond mere military might.
Escalate To Avoid Greater Future Costs
- Break and humiliate regimes that threaten the international order rather than appease them, because deterrence fails against actors who prize martyrdom.
- Schueftan argues democracies must show determination and willingness to escalate to prevent catastrophic long-term shifts.
Martyrdom As A Strategic Weapon
- The Iranian revolutionary ideology (Muqawama) treats martyrdom and mass self-sacrifice as strategic assets that close power gaps with stronger foes.
- Schueftan emphasizes this makes Iran and groups like Hamas/Hezbollah hard to defeat by conventional breaking alone because they valorize societal self-destruction.