Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Robert Wright and Middle East expert Joshua Landis discuss the logic (or lack thereof) behind air strikes—and the implications for the US, Israel, and the wider region.

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0:00 Teaser
1:04 Why is Trump threatening Iran, really?
11:27 What’s the strategic logic behind striking?
16:36 Trump vs Bibi on Gaza
21:20 How would—and could—Iran respond?
31:18 What a post-regime-collapse Iran could look like
37:01 Josh: Trump has painted himself into a corner
39:52 Is a new “axis of resistance” against Israel emerging?
48:37 Heading to Overtime

Discussed in Overtime:
Washington chooses a new Syria over the Kurds.
The Druze, the Alawites, and Israel's Syria strategy.
Could Trump help stabilize the Middle East?
Would war with Iran fracture MAGA?
Israel’s (vs Trump’s) endgame for Gaza.
Mainstream media’s billion-dollar blind spot.

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Joshua Landis (University of Oklahoma, SyriaComment.com). Recorded February 23, 2026.

Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods