Economist Podcasts On goal difference: are America and Israel diverging on Iran?
66 snips
Mar 25, 2026 
Anshel Pfeffer, Israeli journalist and author, joins Sue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondent behind Scam Inc., and Jon Fasman, culture writer on books and ideas. They dig into whether America and Israel now want different outcomes on Iran, how crypto is becoming a payments rail across Asia while aiding scammers, and why mafias evolved with states, markets and pop culture.
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America And Israel May Be Splitting On Iran Endgames
- America and Israel may now define success in Iran differently, even after starting with apparent agreement on regime change.
- Anshel Pfeffer says Trump has shifted toward oil flows and the Strait of Hormuz, while Israeli officials still want a weakened regime that could spark protests.
Regime Weakness Is Harder To Measure Than Missiles
- Israel can tally destroyed launchers, but it cannot measure whether Iranians now see their rulers as vulnerable enough to overthrow.
- Anti-regime Persian satellite channels beam images of fleeing militia and burning police sites to encourage street protests, yet even top intelligence services cannot gauge the effect.
Trump Holds The Leverage Over How The War Ends
- Even a successful deal could leave Israel exposed because Iran still retains missile capacity and Israel depends on America to stop or continue the war.
- Anshel Pfeffer notes Iran still fires 10 to 15 missiles daily, while Israeli jets rely on American tankers and Trump could bind Israel to any ceasefire.
