Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Robert Wright and The Free Press reporter Eli Lake debate the Iran war in light of the history that brought us here—from the 1953 coup and its aftermath to the origins of Hamas and Hezbollah to Obama’s nuclear deal, to the Gaza war, etc.
Exclusive Overtime discussion: nonzero.org/p/the-iran-war-a-debate-robert-wright
Join NonZero's Discord server: discord.gg/Zy4jAhTQMF
Subscribe to The NonZero Newsletter at: nonzero.org/subscribe
0:00 Bob and Eli’s history of (civil) disagreement on Iran
1:38 Is Trump's war on Iran legal? Does it matter?
7:47 Who’s the real rogue state?
19:02 Israel’s nukes and Iran’s nuclear program
29:41 Is Israel more moral than Iran?
38:21 How Hamas became Hamas
45:40 “Proxy,” “theocracy,” and other fighting words
54:20 Heading to Overtime
Discussed in Overtime:
Is Iran a rational actor?
Differing views on the 1953 CIA coup.
Cognitive bias and the Middle East conflict.
The West Bank question(s).
Does Iran really want to destroy Israel?
What does Israel want for the region?
Eli for The Free Press: thefp.com/w/eli-lake
Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True), Eli Lake (The Free Press, Breaking History, The Re-Education). Recorded April 6, 2026.
Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Robert Wright and The Free Press reporter Eli Lake debate the Iran war in light of the history that brought us here—from the 1953 coup and its aftermath to the origins of Hamas and Hezbollah to Obama’s nuclear deal, to the Gaza war, etc.
Exclusive Overtime discussion: nonzero.org/p/the-iran-war-a-debate-robert-wright
Join NonZero's Discord server: discord.gg/Zy4jAhTQMF
Subscribe to The NonZero Newsletter at: nonzero.org/subscribe
0:00 Bob and Eli’s history of (civil) disagreement on Iran
1:38 Is Trump's war on Iran legal? Does it matter?
7:47 Who’s the real rogue state?
19:02 Israel’s nukes and Iran’s nuclear program
29:41 Is Israel more moral than Iran?
38:21 How Hamas became Hamas
45:40 “Proxy,” “theocracy,” and other fighting words
54:20 Heading to Overtime
Discussed in Overtime:
Is Iran a rational actor?
Differing views on the 1953 CIA coup.
Cognitive bias and the Middle East conflict.
The West Bank question(s).
Does Iran really want to destroy Israel?
What does Israel want for the region?
Eli for The Free Press: thefp.com/w/eli-lake
Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True), Eli Lake (The Free Press, Breaking History, The Re-Education). Recorded April 6, 2026.
Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
