Eddie Fishman: Understanding Iran

About this episode

Trevor and Eugene discuss with Eddie Fishman the complexities of economic sanctions and their implications on global power dynamics, using Iran as a case study.

Trevor and Eugene sit down with Eddie Fishman– former State Department official, international sanctions expert, and author of Chokepoints– to unpack the hidden mechanics of global power. Using Iran as a lens, Eddie explains how economic sanctions became one of America's favorite foreign policy tools, why they're often seen as an alternative to war, and what happens when those plans collide with the realities of the world they're meant to change. Along the way, the trio explore unintended consequences, international hypocrisy, and the stubborn truth that people, countries, and history rarely cooperate with anyone's grand strategy.

People in this episode

Host: Trevor Noah

Guest: Eddie Fishman

Topics covered

• economic sanctions
• foreign policy
• Iran
• global power
• international relations
• unintended consequences

Keywords

• economic sanctions
• foreign policy
• Iran
• Eddie Fishman
• Chokepoints
• international relations
• global power

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: State Department

Books & works: Chokepoints

Places: Iran, America

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