Iran v. Israel: Who Won, Who Lost, What Next? - Part One
New Thinking for a New World - a Tallberg Foundation Podcast
08/21/25
•42m
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Roughly six weeks ago, the two Middle East powers, whom everyone feared might someday go to war, actually went to war. After 12 days of fighting, mostly deadly exchanges of missiles, drones and air power, Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on June 24th. But peace is an elusive concept in the Middle East, even more so these days. Will the ceasefire continue to hold? If it does, what are the likely consequences? If it doesn't, who would break it?
More importantly, was this the first Iranian-Israeli war or the last?
It is a hallmark of our info-bubble-infected world that we tend to listen to people with whom we agree rather than risk debating differences. Nowhere is that more true than in the Middle East. However, for this conversation, we invited three people who are not only deeply knowledgeable about the situation, but also approach issues from dramatically different perspectives. Francesca Borri is an Italian journalist who has spent much of the last decade living in Jenin and reporting from the West Bank, Israel, Syria, and other hot spots; Ambassador Hossein Mousavian is a former senior Iranian diplomat who now teaches at Princeton University; Abraham Silver is a lecturer at the Hebrew University on the Architecture of Jerusalem.
Listen as they engage with host Alan Stoga in an exploration of both the underpinnings of the recent war, but also begin a conversation about the possibility of a peaceful future.
👉 This conversation is published in two parts. You are listening to Part One.
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Next Episode
Iran v. Israel: Who Won, Who Lost, What Next? - Part Two
August 21, 2025
•21m
Roughly six weeks ago, the two Middle East powers, whom everyone feared might someday go to war, actually went to war. After 12 days of fighting, mostly deadly exchanges of missiles, drones and air power, Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on June 24th. But peace is an elusive concept in the Middle East, even more so these days. Will the ceasefire continue to hold? If it does, what are the likely consequences? If it doesn't, who would break it?
More importantly, was this the first Iranian-Israeli war or the last?
It is a hallmark of our info-bubble-infected world that we tend to listen to people with whom we agree rather than risk debating differences. Nowhere is that more true than in the Middle East. However, for this conversation, we invited three people who are not only deeply knowledgeable about the situation, but also approach issues from dramatically different perspectives. Francesca Borri is an Italian journalist who has spent much of the last decade living in Jenin and reporting from the West Bank, Israel, Syria, and other hot spots; Ambassador Hossein Mousavian is a former senior Iranian diplomat who now teaches at Princeton University; Abraham Silver is a lecturer at the Hebrew University on the Architecture of Jerusalem.
In this continuation of their dialogue with host Alan Stoga, the panel digs deeper into the lessons of the war, the risks of escalation, and the prospects—however slim—for a more peaceful future in the region.
👉 This conversation is published in two parts. You are listening to Part Two.
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