<description>&lt;div&gt;&lt;span data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;Against the backdrop of one of the largest US military deployments to the Middle East since 2003, MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to assess the situation inside Iran on the eve of potential war. Weeks after the Islamic Republic's brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters and as negotiations with the US fail to find common ground, Donald Trump is reportedly weighing options for military action against Iran. &lt;/span&gt;Vatanka breaks down the regime's strategic calculus, the current dynamics of Iran's opposition movement, and the likely domestic political consequences of a military strike.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;em&gt;For more information, see Alex's co-authored article with Sanam Vakil on&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;Iran's divided opposition &lt;a id= "OWA96905c95-fe2b-1eef-196d-4132c3d09898" title= "https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/irans-divided-opposition" href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/irans-divided-opposition" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-linkindex="0" data-auth="NotApplicable"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; and his analysis of the regime's strategic calculus &lt;a id= "OWA90eafca6-46e0-0d00-15c5-c5a991484cfa" title= "https://mei.edu/publication/iran-considers-its-response-to-potential-renewed-us-israeli-strikes/" href= "https://mei.edu/publication/iran-considers-its-response-to-potential-renewed-us-israeli-strikes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-linkindex="1" data-auth="NotApplicable"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;em&gt;Recorded on February 24, 2026.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>

Middle East Focus

Middle East Institute

Is the Regime Doomed? Iran on the Eve of War

FEB 26, 202640 MIN
Middle East Focus

Is the Regime Doomed? Iran on the Eve of War

FEB 26, 202640 MIN

Description

Against the backdrop of one of the largest US military deployments to the Middle East since 2003, MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to assess the situation inside Iran on the eve of potential war. Weeks after the Islamic Republic's brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters and as negotiations with the US fail to find common ground, Donald Trump is reportedly weighing options for military action against Iran. Vatanka breaks down the regime's strategic calculus, the current dynamics of Iran's opposition movement, and the likely domestic political consequences of a military strike. For more information, see Alex's co-authored article with Sanam Vakil on Iran's divided opposition here and his analysis of the regime's strategic calculus here. Recorded on February 24, 2026.