DeProgram with Ted Rall and Jamarl Thomas

Regime Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes | DeProgram with Ted Rall and John Kiriakou

Apr 1, 2026

They dissect claims of 'regime change' in Iran and what that means for U.S. strategy. They debate the risks of a possible raid to seize highly enriched uranium. They explore Israel’s influence on U.S. policy and the geopolitical drivers of war. They cover threats to tech and defense firms, shipping chokepoints, and a new Israeli law with grave consequences for Palestinians.

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INSIGHT

Regime Change Claim Is Political Spin

The Trump administration claims 'regime change' in Iran despite theocratic leadership and nuclear material remaining intact.
Ted Rall highlights the claim as spin while the U.S. still faces major military and political challenges over Iran's 60% enriched uranium.

INSIGHT

Raid For 60% Uranium Would Be Extremely Risky

A proposed commando mission to recover 60% enriched uranium would be one of the riskiest U.S. operations since WWII.
Robbie West compares it unfavorably to past failed hostage rescue and notes radiation, enemy fire, and logistics risks.

INSIGHT

Iran's Ceasefire Demand Reflects Deep Mistrust

Iran distrusts U.S. ceasefire offers because of history of negotiating then being attacked.
Robbie West explains Iran demands sanctions lifted and formal treaty-level guarantees before talks would be meaningful.

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Political cartoonist Ted Rall and CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou deprogram you from mainstream media every weekday at 9 AM EST.

John is out this morning, but will be co-hosting for the new Q&A-only show starting today at 12 noon Eastern time, and, from now on, Mondays and Wednesdays at 12 noon ET.

Today we discuss:

• Regime change is a forced transformation of government or leadership that results in structural alterations in policies, politics and governance. In Iran, the theocratic leadership remains in place. Yet the White House—looking for a way out of the war it began—claims regime change has occurred. “This new regime, because regime change has occurred, should be wiser than the last,” says Hegseth. “We’ve had regime change, if you look, already because the one regime was decimated, destroyed,” says Trump.

• Trump is considering a military mission to seize Iranian uranium that has been enriched to 60%. It could be “one of the most risky and difficult operations the US military has undertaken since the Second World War.”

• Trump says said the United States could stop attacking Iran within two to three weeks, with or without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

• The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatens to target American tech and defense companies operating in the Middle East, including Cisco, HP, Intel, Oracle, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Dell, Palantir, Nvidia, Tesla and Boeing, among others.

• Palestinians in the occupied West Bank worry that their jailed relatives could be hanged without due process under a new law making the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks. The U.N. said the legislation violates international humanitarian law. The law mandates execution specifically by hanging within 90 days of sentencing, with no right to clemency, a provision included over concerns Israeli doctors would refuse to conduct lethal injections. It would generally require execution. Military courts in the West Bank, where only cases involving Palestinians are heard, have a 96% conviction rate ⁠and a history of extracting confessions under duress or torture.

• The Trump administration may demand that the University of Pennsylvania turn over information about Jews on campus as part of a federal investigation into discrimination at the school, a federal judge rules.

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