Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov unpack the logic—and illogic—behind Israel's and America's strikes on Iran. Plus: the dopamine theory of MAGA foreign policy, how the Anthropic story got buried by the bombings, and more.
Introducing the NonZero Network: nonzero.org/p/announcing-the-nonzero-network
Exclusive Overtime discussion: nonzero.org/p/will-the-iran-war-spiral-out-of-control
Join NonZero's Discord server: discord.gg/Zy4jAhTQMF
Subscribe to The NonZero Newsletter at: nonzero.org/subscribe
0:00 Teaser
1:04 Spain: the one country that got it right
2:31 When US rhetoric starts sounding like the Kremlin
3:42 Nukes, regime change, military threat—pick one
4:40 Rubio's "ridiculous" explanation for attacking Iran
5:55 Iran's restraint: from Soleimani to Khamenei
10:30 Trump had leverage over Bibi. He didn't use it.
12:57 Is this Israel's war or America's?
15:15 Tommy Vietor goes after the ADL—a political first
20:05 How fear sells papers and starts wars
25:08 The nuclear deal: the last thing America got right
25:39 Nikita: Trump's dopamine addiction to "starting shit"
29:54 How the Iran strike buried the Anthropic story
38:34 Does Israel want a stable Middle East?
40:10 Heading to Overtime
Discussed in Overtime:
When "antisemitism" stops working as a shield — the speech code around Israel is breaking.
Nikita wants a unified theory of war.
How the Iran war breaks the Ukraine supply chain — Shahed drones, American munitions.
Danny Citrinowicz on why Khamenei was the rational one you could do business with.
Iran's strategy: make hosting U.S. bases too expensive.
Iran hit Amazon data centers. We're building more there.
Does this war have an endgame?
Could Trump pull a Venezuela in Iran?
The Turkey wildcard — Erdogan, the Kurds, and the risk of true regional conflagration.
Bob vs. Sam Harris on nation-building in Iran.
The Basij problem: not everyone in Iran wants secular democracy.
Spain, Sánchez, and Spanish cannabis clubs.
Link to schedule call with Nikita: calendly.com/psychopolitica/office-hours
Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nikita Petrov (https://psychopolitica.substack.com). Recorded March 03, 2026.
Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov unpack the logic—and illogic—behind Israel's and America's strikes on Iran. Plus: the dopamine theory of MAGA foreign policy, how the Anthropic story got buried by the bombings, and more.
Introducing the NonZero Network: nonzero.org/p/announcing-the-nonzero-network
Exclusive Overtime discussion: nonzero.org/p/will-the-iran-war-spiral-out-of-control
Join NonZero's Discord server: discord.gg/Zy4jAhTQMF
Subscribe to The NonZero Newsletter at: nonzero.org/subscribe
0:00 Teaser
1:04 Spain: the one country that got it right
2:31 When US rhetoric starts sounding like the Kremlin
3:42 Nukes, regime change, military threat—pick one
4:40 Rubio's "ridiculous" explanation for attacking Iran
5:55 Iran's restraint: from Soleimani to Khamenei
10:30 Trump had leverage over Bibi. He didn't use it.
12:57 Is this Israel's war or America's?
15:15 Tommy Vietor goes after the ADL—a political first
20:05 How fear sells papers and starts wars
25:08 The nuclear deal: the last thing America got right
25:39 Nikita: Trump's dopamine addiction to "starting shit"
29:54 How the Iran strike buried the Anthropic story
38:34 Does Israel want a stable Middle East?
40:10 Heading to Overtime
Discussed in Overtime:
When "antisemitism" stops working as a shield — the speech code around Israel is breaking.
Nikita wants a unified theory of war.
How the Iran war breaks the Ukraine supply chain — Shahed drones, American munitions.
Danny Citrinowicz on why Khamenei was the rational one you could do business with.
Iran's strategy: make hosting U.S. bases too expensive.
Iran hit Amazon data centers. We're building more there.
Does this war have an endgame?
Could Trump pull a Venezuela in Iran?
The Turkey wildcard — Erdogan, the Kurds, and the risk of true regional conflagration.
Bob vs. Sam Harris on nation-building in Iran.
The Basij problem: not everyone in Iran wants secular democracy.
Spain, Sánchez, and Spanish cannabis clubs.
Link to schedule call with Nikita: calendly.com/psychopolitica/office-hours
Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nikita Petrov (https://psychopolitica.substack.com). Recorded March 03, 2026.
Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
