Iran v. Israel: Who Won, Who Lost, What Next? - Part Two
New Thinking for a New World - a Tallberg Foundation Podcast
08/21/25
•21m
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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.
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.
Previous Episode
Iran v. Israel: Who Won, Who Lost, What Next? - Part One
August 21, 2025
•42m
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.
Next Episode
Nothing Says “War” Like “Forever”
October 9, 2025
•63m
What do you get when you merge a failed War on Drugs with an archaic War on Terror? We may be about to find out as President Donald Trump unleashes a legal, political, and military campaign against drug cartels, whom he has re-labelled as terrorist organizations. The tactics include blowing up small "go-fast" boats in the Caribbean, labeling Venezuelan President Maduro a cartel leader and then placing a $50 million bounty on him, and pushing a massive air, naval, and land military force into the Caribbean.
Is U.S. national security really threatened by the Mexican and Venezuelan cartels, including the bête noire of the moment, Tren de Aragua? If this is a "war" can it be won---and, if so, how would we know (one of the many problems with both the War on Drugs and the War on Terror framing)? Is the man who campaigned against forever wars starting a new forever war?
In this episode, host Alan Stoga explores these and other questions with Chris Dalby, Director and Founder of World of Crime and author of Tren de Aragua: The Guide to America's Growing Criminal Threat, and Professor Clionadh Raleigh, President and CEO of ACLED and an expert on political violence and conflict data.
What do you think? Is it war or performance art?```
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