American Prestige AP x NonZero - Trump's Gulf War
12 snips
Mar 6, 2026 
Robert Wright, publisher of Non-Zero and podcast host, joins to steer a wide-ranging conversation. They debate whether Trump seeks regime collapse or signaling, dissect Iran’s retaliation logic and targets, and weigh the realism of air campaigns producing political change. The discussion also explores regional spillover risks, Turkey and Kurdish dynamics, and why Europe aligned with U.S. policy.
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U.S. Alignment With Israel's Regime Change Goal
- The U.S. appears to be shifting toward Israel's goal of destabilizing Iran rather than nation-building or a stable settlement.
- Robert Wright cites an Israeli analyst saying Israel prefers coups, civil unrest, or civil war to achieve its objectives, and Trump seems aligned.
Intervention Without Ideology Signals New Power Politics Era
- Derek Davison argues the current interventions lack ideological justification and mark a return to raw power politics rather than postwar liberal hegemony.
- He links the absence of manufactured consent for the Iran strikes to a broader decline of liberal international order.
Trump Said He Wants To Pick Iran's Next Leader
- Daniel Bessner reads an Axios excerpt where Trump says he wants to be personally involved in selecting Iran's next leader, comparing it to Venezuela.
- The excerpt quotes Trump saying Mojtaba Khamenei is a lightweight and he wants to pick the successor like he did in Venezuela.