Glenn Diesen - Greater Eurasia Podcast

Jeffrey Sachs, economist and university professor who advises governments and international organizations, discusses the US and Israeli attack on Iran. He argues the aim is regime change and warns the conflict is rapidly spreading across the region. He critiques Western media and policy, questions the likelihood of a quick strategic win, and fears wide destabilization and possible broader war.

Scott Ritter, former US Marine intelligence officer and UN weapons inspector, outlines why attacking Iran was a strategic blunder. He discusses targeted strikes on leadership, munitions shortages shaping outcomes, Iran’s existential response strategy, regional escalation risks, and how Iran overcame missile defenses. He also examines political fallout and the strain of sustaining high-intensity war.

Seyed Mohammad Marandi, Tehran University professor and former nuclear negotiation adviser, analyzes sudden strikes on Iran. He describes explosions across Tehran, argues the attacks undermined talks, and warns Iran may retaliate sharply. He explores scenarios from limited strikes to all-out regional war and the wider strategic and economic fallout.

George Beebe, former CIA Russia analyst and Quincy Institute strategist, offers a sharp look at a diplomatic window in Ukraine. He discusses missed chances like Istanbul, how U.S. policy shifts open negotiations, Russia's core security demands, NATO non‑expansion, territorial compromises, and the mechanics of guarantees and coalition triggers.

Robert Skidelsky, British House of Lords member and Keynes biographer, critiques Europe’s strategic confusion. He discusses propaganda, media-driven war narratives and the shrinking space for dissent. He examines NATO expansion, rearmament dilemmas and how Europe struggles to find a coherent role in a rising multipolar world.

Douglas Macgregor, retired U.S. Army Colonel and military strategist, weighs in on the likelihood and logistics of an attack on Iran. He discusses stretched US forces, air-refueling and basing limits, Iran’s missile and radar threats, potential Chinese or Russian involvement, and the risks of escalation and regional backlash.

Daniel Davis, retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and military analyst, explains why diplomacy with Iran has failed and why there may be no off-ramp. He discusses shifting U.S. demands, hawkish opposition to negotiations, operational challenges of striking Iran, and how Iran might escalate. He also outlines how regional actors and China and Russia could complicate any U.S. campaign.

John Mearsheimer, noted University of Chicago realist scholar, makes the case that Iran should be seen as a rational actor and explores why nuclear weapons might serve as ultimate deterrence. He weighs the likelihood of U.S. military action, the drivers pushing for conflict, and the wider geopolitical costs of attacking Iran. Short, direct takes on diplomacy, escalation risks, and global balance of power.

Martin Armstrong, economist and founder of Armstrong Economics known for forecasting sovereign debt crises. He discusses how sovereign debt and flawed monetary design destabilized Europe. He describes capital flows exposing weak states, the political incentives blocking long-term reform, migration and integration challenges, and the risks of sanctions, de-dollarization, and regional fragmentation.

A close look at claims that Western powers undermined Istanbul negotiations to keep the conflict going. Discussion of early Ukrainian willingness for neutrality and how Western military aid and rhetoric shifted incentives. Accounts of near-agreements in Istanbul and reported interventions by US and UK officials. Calls for renewed diplomacy to secure a peace settlement and end further bloodshed.