
They Don't Want the Smoke
From Geopolitical Cousins by Jacob Shapiro & Marko Papic
March 10, 2026 · 1h 12m · Season 1 · Episode 50
About this episode
Marko and Jacob discuss the implications of the Iran-Israel conflict and its effects on oil prices and geopolitical stability.
Marko and Jacob are back for a late Monday debrief as the Iran-Israel conflict whiplashes through price swings, contradictory Trump proclamations, and a surprise succession in Tehran. Marko breaks down why Iran's malleable war aims and slowing drone attacks signal a regime running out of stomach for a fight... and why the Strait of Hormuz remains the only geography that truly matters. -- Timestamps: (00:00) - New Mailbag! also Hello! (01:04) - Oil Whiplash Recap (02:15) - Trump War Quotes (02:54) - Menu Metaphor (04:21) - Markets and Reflexivity (07:20) - Fire and Fury Tweet (09:50) - Punitive Campaign Logic (12:35) - Iran Succession Shock (14:43) - Attack Data and B52s (16:44) - Red Sea vs Hormuz (20:17) - Why Hormuz Matters (24:25) - Vietnam and Tanker Risk (27:06) - Regime Instability Scenario (30:37) - Trump and Market Downside (32:50) - Basketball Geopolitics Analogy (36:56) - Shaq Strategy Not Nation Building (38:09) - Ditching the Hormuz Dependency (40:31) - China Taiwan and Energy Timelines (41:24) - Why Oil Is Hard to Replace (43:42) - Dune Metaphor Breaks Down (45:13) - Middle East Oil Still Matters (47:09) - India China Pressure on Iran (51:46) - Stock Versus Flow…
People in this episode
Hosts: Marko Papic, Jacob Shapiro
Topics covered
- Iran-Israel conflict
- oil markets
- geopolitics
- Trump's statements
- regime stability
- energy security
Keywords
- Iran
- Israel
- oil prices
- Trump
- geopolitics
- Strait of Hormuz
- regime stability
- energy security
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Iran, Israel, Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, India, Iraq
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