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UnHerd’s Freddie Sayers hosts a debate on the internal future of Iran featuring two clashing geopolitical perspectives: Professor Edward Luttwak – a strategist and expert on international diplomacy, who argues that the Trump administration is successfully pursuing a strategy to achieve regime change via surgical airstrikes; and Dr Arta Moeini – international political theorist and a realist thinker, who warns that the West is dangerously underestimating the resilience of Iran’s decentralised “total state”, and that direct attacks could fuel a civil war that accelerates a global shift toward a new world order dominated by China.
‘Horizontally organised’….
‘Taking out the ayatollah enhances the hard-line element’
Have I convinced you ?
I wonder how many people Unherd had to interview before they found Arta and his opposing view. He didnt make a lot of credible sense to me.
I question Luttwak’s statement (and credibility) that Shia Islam is not dynastic. According to Western sources about the original schism between Shia and Sunni Muslims, Shia believed at the time of Muhammad’s death that his family member should succeed him. Sunni’s, on the other hand, believed the successor should be someone of merit.
I am surprised he wasn’t challenged.
Thank you for this attempted show of balanced opinions – in a world or millions. Lving in far away LA, I’m a bit surprised at the absence of LA’s Irianian community – not showing up here. Perhaps they’ve not found you thoughtful channel yet. I’m old, but in my lifetime in technology and the capital markets (mostly of the US) of London too, I had former Irainian employees who would insist, as I leaned into them for “results”, that this – employment with my firm, was not a government job – you must produce for our investors – and “yourself.” This was a foreign concept initially, but they caught on very fast when they understood we didn’t work for the government/religion/boss – RATER. people voted with their wallets – we worked for our interests – but theirs first, while staying within the accepted legal and moral norms. We were free to test these, but the market punished us when we were foolish. I think your second guest believes we in the “make it happen” world are the people living in a fantasy, while I sense he is leading less “accomdating” people to ruin. Freddie, not every opposing political idea is equal – some benefit the civilians (who pay the price) and some do not. Thank you for the courage to accept my mild criticism – I believe UnHerd is a voice that must be considered by those of us with much to lose, because we are too overly confident in our “righteousness” (which ties back to our economic intersts) we start to look like the Iraian Republican Guard – that protects only the intersts of (per my former employees) 10% – “the best” (an Ibanker term back in the day).
One thing that was not discussed was the chance of capturing or otherwise destroying Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. Is that completely out of the question?