Daniel Davis Deep Dive Trump Says He has Strong Options for Iran /Alastair Crooke & Lt Col Daniel Davis
Jan 12, 2026
Alastair Crooke, a former British diplomat and MI6 officer with extensive experience in Middle Eastern affairs, joins the discussion with Lt Col Daniel Davis. They delve into the origins and dynamics of the recent unrest in Iran, highlighting foreign orchestration and Kurdish involvement. Crooke critiques U.S. military justifications while examining Iran's resilient retaliatory capabilities. The conversation also touches on Iranian geopolitical shifts toward Eastern powers and the implications of Trump's remarks on Greenland, raising questions about transatlantic trust.
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External Orchestration Of Iran Unrest
- Alastair Crooke argues the recent Iran unrest is largely externally organized using Maidan-style tactics and foreign-trained groups.
- He says NGOs, MEK forces in Albania, Kurdish units and currency manipulation from Dubai helped provoke the unrest.
Staged Violence And Starlink Shutdown
- Crooke describes a tactic of staged violence filmed by operatives to provoke security force overreaction and public outrage.
- He says cutting internet and disabling Starlink terminals rapidly collapsed much of the coordinated protest network.
Genuine Grievances Exploited, Not Collapse
- Crooke acknowledges genuine domestic grievances like currency collapse and Bazaari discontent but frames them as entry points exploited by external actors.
- He cautions Western narratives exaggerating regime collapse and cites Israeli analyst Ehud Yairi expressing skepticism of systemic cracks.