The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer The Imperial Presidency and the Iran War w/ Matt Duss
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Mar 1, 2026 
Matt Duss, foreign-policy expert known for critiques of U.S. strategy toward Iran and executive war powers. He warns a massive U.S. buildup risks being used and leading to conflict. He questions the rush to war, explains how Iranian missiles changed regional dynamics, and explores why U.S. interests diverge from Israeli military aims.
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Largest U.S. Buildup Since Iraq Creates Risk
- The U.S. has assembled the largest military buildup in the Middle East since 2002 and it's likely to be used.
- Matt Duss warns this 'vast armada' is effectively a huge Chekhov's gun that creates strong likelihood of escalation into war.
Missiles Not Nukes Are Driving The Panic
- The immediate driver of escalation is Iran's rapid ballistic missile reconstitution rather than its nuclear program.
- Duss says Israeli concerns, especially Netanyahu's view that Iran must be denied defensive capability, are a main force pushing U.S. action.
On the Ground Damage Seen In Tel Aviv
- Matt Duss recounts seeing wartime damage in Tel Aviv and Israeli colleagues sheltering three floors below ground.
- He describes an entire apartment block demolished and that Iranian ballistic strikes were qualitatively different from Hamas rockets.