Samuel Helfont
Associate professor of strategy and policy in the Naval War College program at the Naval Postgraduate School, author and historian specializing in Iraq who wrote The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP, 2025).
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Dec 24, 2025 • 1h 2min
Samuel Helfont, "The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction" (Oxford UP, 2025)
Samuel Helfont, an associate professor and historian specializing in Iraq, dives into the complexities of the Iraq Wars in this discussion. He emphasizes the interconnectedness of the Gulf War, the 2003 invasion, and the rise of ISIS. Helfont reveals Saddam's multifaceted motives for invading Kuwait and critiques the US's messy handling of the conflicts. He argues that the Iraq Wars should be viewed as a continuous chain of events. Ultimately, he addresses whether the conflicts have truly ended and shares insights about his future research plans.
Feb 13, 2026 • 50min
Episode 17: Between Strategic Rivalry and Uneasy Cooperation: How the Relationship Between Iran and Iraq Shapes the Modern Middle East
Shahin Berenji, Assistant Professor specializing in Middle East strategic rivalries. Samuel Helfont, historian focused on Iraq and the Iraq Wars. They trace Iran–Iraq borderlands and historic rivalry. They discuss the 1980s war's legacy, Iran’s role after 2003, whether Iraq leans toward Tehran, and how instability in Iran could reshape the region.
