Glenn Diesen - Greater Eurasia Podcast Daniel Davis: China & Russia Will Defend Iran
Feb 26, 2026
Daniel Davis, retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and military analyst, explains why diplomacy with Iran has failed and why there may be no off-ramp. He discusses shifting U.S. demands, hawkish opposition to negotiations, operational challenges of striking Iran, and how Iran might escalate. He also outlines how regional actors and China and Russia could complicate any U.S. campaign.
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No Clear U.S. End State For Iran
- U.S. policy toward Iran lacks a coherent end state, driven instead by Israeli aims to remove the regime.
- Daniel Davis says demands (nukes, missiles, proxies) shift to appeal to U.S. audiences while the true objective is regime elimination.
JCPOA Exit Undermined Diplomatic Credibility
- Tearing up the JCPOA undermined trust and removed intrusive inspections that constrained Iran's nuclear path.
- Davis notes the 2018 U.S. pullout and subsequent attacks convinced Iran diplomacy was a cover for coercion.
Powerful U.S. Voices Oppose Any Deal
- A negotiated settlement is politically fraught because influential U.S. figures explicitly oppose deals that prolong the regime.
- Davis highlights Pompeo and Jack Keane arguing no deal is acceptable because any extension equals regime survival.