DARRYL COOPER : What takes more courage: starting a war or ending one?

DARRYL COOPER : What takes more courage: starting a war or ending one?

A ceasefire gets announced, and then the bombs keep falling. That contradiction kicks off a blunt conversation with Darryl Cooper about the Middle East, Israel and Hezbollah, and why the United States no longer gets to “allow” outcomes in the Iran war like it’s flipping a switch. We walk through what it means when a war ends without the military objectives we started with, and why that kind of failure feels unfamiliar in modern American life. From Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan, leaders often keep conflicts going because the politics of stopping are brutal. We talk about the rare kind of courage it takes to cut losses, the temptation to rebrand defeat as victory, and the danger of walking away with the wrong confidence as great power competition with China and Russia accelerates. Then we get practical: next-generation asymmetric warfare, air defense limits, and the exchange-rate problem no budget can beat. If you’re firing multimillion-dollar interceptor missiles at cheap drones, you’re losing even when you “win” each engagement. We also dig into Middle East basing, long lead times for key radar systems, the military-industrial incentives that favor giant new programs, and the human costs that show up as moral injury and public distrust. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Opening Ceasefire And Hezbollah Strikes * 1:12 Meet Daryl Cooper And Set Stakes * 4:35 Can Israel Force A Longer War * 10:05 What Failure Looks Like Against Iran * 16:40 The Hardest Move Is Ending War * 23:15 Iraq Ghosts And The China Lesson * 32:20 Asymmetric Warfare And Cost Imbalance * 43:00 Empire Overreach And Middle East Basing * 54:45 Moral Injury Propaganda And Closing Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

JIM WEBB : Will the Deal Hold? 24 Hours to Put Israel in Check

A “peace deal” is about to take effect, yet Israel is still carrying out combat operations in Lebanon and openly talking about expanded buffer zones. We walk through why that detail changes everything for Iran, why Lebanon is treated as inseparable from the broader conflict, and how a ceasefire without enforcement quickly turns into a prelude to escalation. If you’re trying to figure out whether this agreement can hold, we map the incentives and the breaking points that the headlines keep skipping. Then we follow the money and the markets. Oil flow, shipping routes, strategic reserves, inflation, and global economic stability are not side notes, they are the engine of the sudden shift in Washington’s posture. We dig into the admissions around unfreezing Iranian funds, what it means for the credibility of the US dollar and sanctions policy, and why “weaponizing the dollar” is starting to create diminishing returns. We also challenge the story being told about Gaza, ceasefires, and what success actually looks like when civilian casualties keep rising. From there, we pull on the domestic political thread: why are Americans so easy to steer into supporting policies that don’t serve them? We connect foreign policy narratives to the same divide-and-conquer playbook behind gerrymandering fights and the way immigration enforcement is argued in public. We close with a brand-new segment, Jimbo’s Wag of the Finger, aimed at Major League Baseball’s looming labor battle and the push for a salary cap. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:20 Breaking News And Deal Doubts * 2:30 Anniversary Shoutout And Housekeeping * 3:52 IDF Operations In Lebanon Persist * 6:40 Switzerland Talks And Versailles Warning * 8:00 Oil Reserves And Economic Pressure * 9:53 Frozen Funds And The Dollar Weapon * 14:45 Gaza Claims And Ceasefire Reality * 20:10 Where Is Marco Rubio * 28:28 Vance Shifts On Self Defense * 31:38 Divide And Conquer At Home * 39:50 Redistricting Iran And ICE Examples * 43:25 Jimbo’s Wag On MLB Salary Cap * 49:26 Tomorrow’s Guest And Closing Plugs Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

LARRY JOHNSON : United States-Israel Intelligence Sharing ? What's really happening?

A “deal” doesn’t mean much if nobody can even agree on what’s in it. We sit down with Larry Johnson to sort through the growing confusion around the Iran memorandum of understanding, including reports of competing versions, rumored electronic signatures, and the single line that seems to matter most: an immediate, comprehensive ceasefire that includes Lebanon. Then we ask the uncomfortable question: if Israeli leaders are publicly promising more war, what exactly is supposed to change by Friday? From there, we connect diplomacy to consequences you can feel. We get into the economic pressure shaping US foreign policy, why the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a bigger story than most headlines admit, and how oil and shipping realities make quick market optimism look naive. Even if the Strait of Hormuz opens, tankers, insurance, and mine-clearing timelines can stretch disruptions for months. We also cover the less-obvious ripple effects, like damaged LNG infrastructure in Qatar and why helium supply matters for computer chips, not party balloons. Finally, we dig into the security architecture underneath the politics: US basing in the Gulf, drone-heavy warfare that punishes expensive platforms, supply chain constraints like rare earth minerals and gallium, and the nuclear deterrence debate that keeps resurfacing whenever regime change rhetoric returns. We close with a deep look at Section 622 of the Intelligence Reauthorization Act and why codifying intelligence sharing with Israel could permanently limit independent US operations. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Hawaiian Shirt Cold Open * 2:55 Competing Versions Of The Iran MOU * 6:10 Israeli Leaders Push For More War * 10:30 US Leverage Over Israel And Politics * 14:55 Oil Risk And The SPR Reality * 20:40 Strait Of Hormuz Fees And Leverage * 26:10 Mines, LNG Damage, And Helium Shock * 31:55 Iran Retaliation And Hidden US Losses * 37:45 Gulf Bases Under Pressure To Close * 41:45 Drone Warfare Costs And Supply Chains * 47:20 Nuclear Deterrence And JCPOA Lessons * 51:50 Section 622 And Forced Intel Sharing * 53:55 Cutoffs, Decoupling, And Final Plugs Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Netanyahu Speaks Out On Iran Deal -NOT SO FAST! What Happens NEXT?

A ceasefire can be announced in minutes and collapse in seconds, so we slow down and ask the only question that matters: is the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding actually enforceable, or is it a pause that buys time while the Israel Lebanon conflict keeps burning? I walk through why Iran is treating Lebanon as the make-or-break condition, why the Strait of Hormuz staying constrained is real leverage, and how “minor war” language collides with what’s happening on the ground. Then we follow the money, because global markets don’t care about talking points. Oil prices, the strategic petroleum reserve, shipping risk, and U.S. inflation all intersect here, and the timing of the MOU matters when futures open and prices swing. If you’ve felt higher energy costs and grocery bills, this is the chain that links a regional war to your weekly budget and to the political pressure building ahead of the midterm elections. Finally, I get into the under-discussed limiter: U.S. force readiness and munitions stockpiles. From Tomahawk production rates to Patriot and THAAD interceptor replenishment timelines, and from 155mm artillery shell capacity to broader “can we sustain this” realities, the episode lays out why prolonged conflict is not just unpopular, it may be strategically reckless. We close by looking at Netanyahu’s incentives, the risk of ceasefire violations, and what signs to watch between now and Friday. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 A Deal Or A Charade * 1:58 Coffee Plug And Going Solo * 3:12 Iran Sets The Terms On Lebanon * 8:38 Why The MOU Looks Like Theater * 18:22 Oil Prices And Inflation Pressure * 26:05 Polls Show A War Nobody Wants * 30:34 Munitions Shortages And Production Limits * 39:18 Force Readiness And A New Drone Era * 43:12 Netanyahu As The Spoiler * 45:10 Predictions And The Ask To Subscribe Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

PRO. MOHAMMAD MARANDI - LIVE From Tehran, IRAN

The market popped on a promise: a Trump-brokered Iran agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease a global energy squeeze. But when a headline lands right before futures reopen, I can’t help asking whether we’re seeing diplomacy or gamesmanship. Oil prices, the Nikkei, and US stocks all react instantly, even though the public still has almost no verified detail from the US side about the memorandum of understanding or the real enforcement mechanisms behind it.  To cut through the fog, I’m joined by Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi live from Tehran. We talk about why Iranian leaders and ordinary people don’t evaluate US negotiations in a vacuum and how war memory still shapes strategy today. Morandi shares personal experience from the Iran-Iraq war, including surviving chemical attacks, and explains why that history fuels deep skepticism toward Western “human rights” messaging and toward US claims of good-faith bargaining.  Then we get practical and specific: what the reported terms imply about sanctions relief, frozen Iranian assets, maritime access through the Persian Gulf, and the biggest trigger point of all, Israel’s operations in Lebanon. We also look at the political pressure cooker around Netanyahu, the risk of the deal collapsing if commitments aren’t met, and what a sustained disruption in Hormuz means for inflation, fuel availability, and long-tail economic damage worldwide.  If you want a clear, grounded read on the Iran deal rumors, the Strait of Hormuz stakes, and the Lebanon ceasefire question, listen now, then subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review with your take on what happens next. CHAPTER MARKERS * 0:00 Breaking News And Big Claims * 2:04 Host Check In And Quick Sponsor * 2:58 World Cup Crowd Energy Break * 4:02 Markets React To Iran Deal Talk * 12:19 Marandi's War Story And Media Lessons * 21:53 What The Deal Demands By Friday * 26:01 Tehran’s Mixed Mood And Skepticism * 28:13 Can Washington Restrain Israel * 31:28 Winners Losers And Public Backlash * 35:59 Netanyahu’s Next Move At Home * 40:49 Proving Good Faith With Money And Terms * 43:16 Final Takeaways And Subscribe Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations [https://redcircle.com/jim-webb-podcast/donations] Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]