Off-Ramp or Escalator - The Iranian Regime's Final Act?: Dr. Seth Jones

About this episode

Michael speaks with Dr. Seth Jones about the critical moment in the Iran conflict, exploring the potential for diplomatic solutions versus escalation.

Michael speaks with Dr. Seth Jones, president of CSIS's Defense and Security Department, to analyze a critical moment in the Iran conflict: are we headed for a diplomatic off-ramp or a rapid escalation toward regime change? Dr. Jones assesses the degradation of Iran's naval and drone capabilities and explains why the current campaign has successfully reset the regional balance of power. However, he also explores the "buying time" strategy of Iranian diplomacy and the increasing pressure from Gulf states to see the regime ended as it continues to strike commercial and energy targets. Finally, Dr. Jones examines the tactical shift in Israeli targeting and what it means for the long-term survival of the IRGC.

People in this episode

Host: Michael

Guest: Dr. Seth Jones

Topics covered

• Iran conflict
• diplomatic strategies
• regional power balance
• Iranian military capabilities
• Israeli targeting
• regime change

Keywords

• Iran
• diplomacy
• regime change
• military capabilities
• Gulf states
• Israeli targeting
• regional balance of power

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CSIS, IRGC

Places: Iran, Gulf states, regional

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