The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg Who Fills the Power Vacuum? | Interview: Ken Pollack
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Mar 3, 2026 
Ken Pollack, longtime Middle East policy expert and former AEI analyst, weighs in. He discusses whether airstrikes can topple a regime and lessons from Libya and Desert Fox. He explores risks of balkanization, regional rivals like Turkey, who might fill a power vacuum, and why the administration chose its timing. Short takeaways on likely U.S. operational plans and political blowback.
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Iran Has Civil Society But Institutions May Be Tainted
- Iran's society and institutions may be stronger than Iraq's, but many key institutions were created or distorted by the regime.
- Pollack warns survival of moderate leaders or institutions depends heavily on how the collapse happens.
Balkanization Is A Real Risk In Iran's Collapse
- Post-collapse scenarios range from regime survival to democratic transition to fragmentation and civil war.
- Pollack notes ethnic groups (Kurds, Baluch, Arabs) may try to secede, echoing chaos after WWI and potential reconquest by a strongman.
Iran's Fall Will Rearrange The Regional Chessboard
- A weakened or collapsed Iran reshuffles the Middle Eastern chessboard, creating winners and losers like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
- Pollack stresses regional actors want Iran gone but fear spillover, so responses will mix support and caution.