How Close Are We to World War III? A UK General on Iran, Ukraine, and the Changing Character of War
About this episode
General Sir Nick Carter discusses the evolving nature of warfare and the risks of escalation in conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine.
Host Seth Jones sits down with General Sir Nick Carter, who served as Chief of the Defence Staff and Chief of the General Staff in the UK military, for an assessment of the changing character of warfare. Drawing on decades of military leadership and firsthand experience commanding U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Carter offers insight into the operational lessons emerging from the wars in Iran and Ukraine, the risks of strategic hubris, the evolving role of drones and autonomy on the battlefield, and the growing danger of escalation toward a broader, multi-theater conflict.
People in this episode
Host: Seth Jones
Guest: General Sir Nick Carter
Topics covered
- changing character of warfare
- military leadership
- strategic hubris
- drones and autonomy
- escalation risks
- multi-theater conflict
Keywords
- World War III
- military strategy
- drones
- autonomy
- Iran
- Ukraine
- escalation
- conflict
- Seth Jones
- General Sir Nick Carter
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: UK military
Places: Iran, Ukraine, Afghanistan
More episodes of The Last Line of Defense
- Are Soldiers Obsolete? How Autonomy Will Define the Coming Conflict with China
- From Orbit to the Battlefield: The Future of Space Capabilities
- Ex-CIA and Pentagon Chief Warns: Iran, the Homeland, and Challenges Ahead
- Is Ukraine Winning? Inside the Battlefield of Drones, AI, and Autonomous Warfare
- The Surprising Truth About How Americans See NATO, China, and Iran
- The World Turned Upside Down: The Aftermath of the Iran War
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