Podcasts about Iraqi

After decades of conflict, Iraqis have enjoyed increased political stability and a promising future, even embracing a unified national identity. But attacks by Iran, the United States, and homegrown militias are tugging at the divides that had held Iraq back. Also: today's stories, including how MAGA voters are throwing their support behind the Iran war, despite strident criticism from some conservative commentators; how government UFO records and films exploring out-of-this-world connections are renewing attention on the question of whether humankind is truly alone in the universe; and how Haiti's 'Resistance Artists' believe in new beginnings. Join the Monitor's Audrey Thibert for today's news.

It's Monday, March 16th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus 400 Christians murdered in Congo in one year Christians are being attacked, murdered, and abducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo every week, and the violence appears to be worse than ever, reports International Christian Concern. Between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025, the Institute for International Religious Freedom reported that nearly 400 Christians were murdered in the African nation of Congo. And this is only a fraction of the total violence being perpetrated. Rebel militias have gained vast influence over the Christian-majority nation due to extremist Islamist ideologies, years-long civil wars, and political upheaval. According to Open Doors, Congo is the 29th most oppressive country worldwide for Christians. The persecuted Christians in Congo are no doubt praying Psalm 91 which says, “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' Surely, He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. … You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day. … A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.” (verses 2,3,5, 7-8) Missile strikes U.S. Embassy in Iraq A missile has struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq as President Donald Trump's war on Iran heads into its third week, reports The Daily Mail. Plumes of smoke were seen above the U.S. embassy in the Iraqi capital. The missile landed within the embassy's boundaries. Pentagon sending assault ship & 2,500 Marines toward Iran The Pentagon is deploying the U.S.S. Tripoli and 2,500 Marines to the Middle East after President Trump vowed Friday to unleash “unparalleled firepower,” reports the New York Post. On Friday morning, War Secretary Pete Hegseth gave this overview. HEGSETH: “With every passing hour, we know, and we know they know, that the military capabilities of their evil regime are crumbling. They can barely communicate, let alone coordinate. They're confused, and we know it.  Our response? We will keep pressing. We will keep pushing, keep advancing. No quarter, no mercy for our enemies.” Iran's blocking Strait of Hormuz leading to global oil price spike The deployment of the amphibious assault ship comes as the American military admits it's currently unable to break Iranian influence over the vital Strait of Hormuz as global oil prices spike.  The Strait of Hormuz is located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. The expected two-week voyage from East Asia matches Energy Secretary Chris Wright's prediction of reopening the crucial waterway “by the end of the month.” Secretary Hegseth was perturbed by a CNN report that Iran's stranglehold of the Strait of Hormuz was a surprise. HEGSETH: “More fake news from CNN. Reports that the ‘Trump administration underestimated the Iran war's impact on the Strait of Hormuz.' “Patently ridiculous, of course! For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do: Hold the Strait hostage. CNN doesn't think we thought of that. It's a fundamentally unserious report.” Idaho House urges Supreme Court to invalidate homosexual “marriage” The Idaho House of Representatives has voted to reject the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges and urged the justices to reconsider the decision legalizing homosexual marriage nationwide, reports the Herzog Foundation. Lawmakers approved House Joint Memorial 17 last Tuesday in a 44-26 vote. All Democrats voted against the measure, and a small number of Republicans joined them. The resolution now heads to the Idaho Senate. The memorial states the Legislature “rejects the Obergefell decision” and “calls upon the Supreme Court of the United States to reverse Obergefell and restore the natural definition of marriage.” Supporters say the 2015 ruling overrode the authority of states and ignored the will of voters who had already defined marriage in state law. The resolution says Obergefell “is at odds with the Constitution of the United States and the principles upon which the United States is established.” It also says the ruling “arbitrarily and unjustly” cast aside the historic understanding of marriage, which “has been recognized as the union of one man and one woman for more than 2,000 years.” Idaho Republican State Rep. Tony Wisniewski sponsored the memorial. He said supporters oppose “the debasing of the term of marriage to that of something that is abhorrent to many of us.” The memorial also points to Idaho voters' earlier decision on the issue. In 2006, 63% of voters approved Amendment 2, which added language to the state Constitution defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Supporters argue the Supreme Court brushed aside that vote when it issued the Obergefell ruling. The resolution also states the decision “may have been illegitimately adjudicated” because two justices in the majority, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan, had previously officiated homosexual weddings and did not recuse themselves. The memorial now moves to the Idaho Senate. The governor does not play a role because joint memorials do not require a signature. “Educated for Liberty” film urges Christian parents to wake up And finally, the rise of government-controlled schools and secular education has produced a decline of moral and academic excellence, which has led to a loss of liberty, reports The Providence Foundation. Schools have become progressively dangerous. Some of the most negative influences that young Americans can face today are found in public schools. Exposure to drugs, assault, rape, and murder are becoming more and more common. Radical transgender and homosexual ideology is promoted in classrooms, and reinforced by biological males having access to girls' restrooms and being allowed to compete in girls' sports. Well, there's a new Christian documentary out entitled Educated for Liberty. It urges Christian parents to pull their kids out of public schools and homeschool them or place them in private Christian schools instead. DAVID BARTON: “If you can't think biblically, then what you have is a bunch of secular-thinking people who attend church which will never change a community in the right direction.” RHONDA THOMAS: “We're not, as a church, raising up parents that understand their responsibility in the education of their children.” CAROL SWAIN: “Sunday School is fine. It's good. Vacation Bible School: Fine and good, but it's not enough.” CAROLE ADAMS: “Education is discipleship -- one way or another. Discipling our children in a secularized society, or it's discipling them to Christ.” CASEY GORDON: “How could you possibly segregate the concept of education from the duty and responsibility of the Christian faith, and that they should be trained in the Christian faith and in a Christian way?” ALEX NEWMAN: “For hundreds of years in this country, the Bible was the essential book. It was the foundation of everything. And yet, here we are where it's actually controversial that we should have the Bible in education. It's truly astounding.” MRS. SAM SORBO: “Give your children the Bible, and you give them an understanding of God, which is education. Then the world will become clear to them, and they'll be world changers.” Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Watch the film, Educated for Liberty, for free through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, March 16th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

You may be shocked to hear that musicians sometimes lie about who they are. Some may say this is not shocking at all - it's almost a tradition. But there's a meaningful difference between Ziggy Stardust and a band from North Dakota claiming to be a Chinese black metal act to game the press.In this episode we try to map that difference. We spend a healthy portion of time on what we're not talking about - aliases, concept bands, anonymity for anonymity's sake - before getting into the genuinely murky territory of bands that have used fabricated identities for commercial advantage. We cover the fake Zombies that toured America simultaneously in 1969, The Masked Marauders and the elaborate Rolling Stone prank that accidentally became a real album, Silibil n Brains, Dundee rappers who got signed to Island Records on the strength of their American accents, before discussing Ghost Bath, the project that brought this whole phenomenon into focus for us.Along the way we also get into AI-generated music, Milli Vanilli (and why what they did is arguably less dishonest than what plenty of current pop stars do routinely, and a genuinely unresolved case involving a supposedly Iraqi black metal band that may or may not have put its members in real danger.The question running through all of it: does context change how we hear music? And if it does — what does that say about us?Highlights:00:00 Introduction01:24 Catfish and Hoax Bands Explained02:11 Patreon05:10 Famous Death Hoaxes05:42 Mystique Versus Scams09:02 Not Aliases or Roleplay10:43 Anonymity and Masks13:23 Fake Touring Lineups19:03 Concept Bands and Bits24:28 AI Bands and Deception27:54 Outright Music Scams30:13 Milli Vanilli Then and Now30:53 Pop Star Fraud Culture33:39 Mask Marauders Hoax35:20 Orion Elvis Impostor38:50 Platinum Weird Backstory40:25 Syllable American Rap Ruse43:38 Jana Mystery Metal Band46:06 Velvet Cocoon Troll Scam48:36 Ghost Bath Identity Debate54:40 Context and Cultural Relativism58:10 Ghost Bath Fallout and Ethics01:02:53 Outro

A president calls for Iran's “unconditional surrender,” then floats picking the next government and rebuilding a nation of 90 million. We unpack how a mission that began as punitive strikes ballooned into de facto nation building, why timelines quietly stretched from days to months, and how the math of missiles versus interceptors exposes the limits of U.S. power. Along the way, we confront the human cost of a school reduced to graves, the political theater of “this isn't a war,” and the uncomfortable reality that AI-assisted targeting can accelerate mistakes faster than leaders can correct them. We dig into the strategic heart of the conflict: Iran's calculation that a short war only invites another round, its vow to avoid talks it sees as traps, and the emerging use of advanced munitions that test Israeli air defenses. In the Gulf, partners run low on interceptors while Washington shuffles scarce systems from Asia and Europe, weakening deterrence where it's needed next. We look at how Hezbollah's front intensifies, why public sentiment in Bahrain cheers hits on U.S. sites, and how a CIA play to leverage Kurdish factions could backfire into Iraqi instability and a broader proxy storm. The politics at home are just as volatile. Congress shrugs off War Powers limits, giving leaders campaign cover without real accountability, even as flag-draped coffins return. We map the incentives that keep the war going, the industrial constraints that make “infinite ammo” a fantasy, and the scenarios that could flip U.S. basing rights and alliances across the region. Most of all, we focus on the only real off-ramp: narrow the aims, stop the escalation treadmill, and pair verifiable security guarantees with a plan that matches resources to reality. If you value candid analysis that cuts through talking points, tap follow, share this episode with a friend who cares about U.S. foreign policy, and leave a review with your take on the most realistic off-ramp. Your feedback shapes where we go next.

March, 14 2026, 7 AM; The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was struck by a missile according to Iraqi security forces Saturday morning, after U.S. forces bombed targets on Iran's Kharg Island, home to the primary terminal that handles that country's oil exports. Meanwhile, MS NOW has learned the military plans to send 5K troops and several additional ships to the Arabian Sea, a day after the U.S. military confirmed six U.S. service members were killed when a refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth addressed the tragedy nearly 9 minutes into his press briefing yesterday after first scolding the media. Terry Moran and Toluse Olorunnipa join The Weekend to discuss the latest with the war in Iran. For more, follow us on social media: Bluesky: @theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Instagram: @theweekendmsnow TikTok: @theweekendmsnow To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stay informed with Crosstalk! Here's your headline roundup for the week: --6 American soldiers were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft, supporting operations against Iran, crashed in Western Iraq. --The new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, published his first written statement yesterday since assuming office on March 8th, vowing to avenge the blood of the martyrs, including his father. --Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, told the Gulf-Arab states to shut down U.S. bases amid the war with Iran. --Iran launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Gulf nations yesterday. --Israel intensified its campaign against Iran yesterday striking a nuclear weapons development facility near Tehran. --The U.S. military said on March 12 that it had destroyed more than 30 Iranian mine laying vessels and struck more than 6,000 targets since the campaign against Iran began last month. --Explosive laden Iranian boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member Wednesday. --Israel continued extensive strikes on Lebanon yesterday morning after Hezbollah shot about 200 projectiles at Northern Israel the night before. --Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is speaker of Iran's parliament, threatened to make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders if the U.S. military targets regime assets on islands there. --The data center of Iran's state-run bank was hit by a strike in Tehran Wednesday. --President Trump said on March 11th that his administration knows the location of most of Iran's sleeper cells in the U.S.

Stay informed with Crosstalk! Here's your headline roundup for the week: --6 American soldiers were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft, supporting operations against Iran, crashed in Western Iraq. --The new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, published his first written statement yesterday since assuming office on March 8th, vowing to avenge the blood of the martyrs, including his father. --Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, told the Gulf-Arab states to shut down U.S. bases amid the war with Iran. --Iran launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Gulf nations yesterday. --Israel intensified its campaign against Iran yesterday striking a nuclear weapons development facility near Tehran. --The U.S. military said on March 12 that it had destroyed more than 30 Iranian mine laying vessels and struck more than 6,000 targets since the campaign against Iran began last month. --Explosive laden Iranian boats appear to have attacked two fuel tankers in Iraqi waters, setting them ablaze and killing one crew member Wednesday. --Israel continued extensive strikes on Lebanon yesterday morning after Hezbollah shot about 200 projectiles at Northern Israel the night before. --Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is speaker of Iran's parliament, threatened to make the Persian Gulf run with the blood of invaders if the U.S. military targets regime assets on islands there. --The data center of Iran's state-run bank was hit by a strike in Tehran Wednesday. --President Trump said on March 11th that his administration knows the location of most of Iran's sleeper cells in the U.S.

Iran has ramped up retaliatory attacks on energy supplies with strikes on two foreign oil tankers in Iraqi waters. Separately, a video geolocated by CNN appeared to show an Iranian drone hitting a fuel tank in an Omani port. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ABC reports that the FBI warned of an Iran-aspired attack in California with drones in retaliation for war. 3 brothers of Iraqi origin are arrested in connection with the U.S. Embassy explosion in Norway. Tucker Carlson's brother, Buckley, tweets out that he agrees with a conspiracy that the murder of Charlie Kirk was a black magic ritual because the location can be drawn into a star on the map. The US College GOP selects Nick Fuentes-loving Groyper, Kai Schwemmer, as their head.  Trump gives a speech at a Kentucky rally in support of Thomas Massie's primary political opponent. Dana explains how the influence of the Russian Philosopher Dugin's idea of multipolarity is a geopolitical psyop that is infiltrating Woke Reich podcasters like Tucker and Steve Bannon.  Reports of an active shooter at a Jewish synagogue in Michigan. What is going on between Catholics and Protestants where it concerns the young minds in TPUSA and Erika Kirk? Dana shares commentary. Islamic influencers were invited to Gracie Mansion with Zohran Mamdani to end their fast by eating on rugs.Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…PreBornhttps://Preborn.com/DANABe there for her and save a life for just $28. Visit the site or call #250 and say BABY.Noble Goldhttps://NobleGoldInvestments.com/DanaDownload Noble Gold Investments' free Wealth Protection Kit and get informed.American Financinghttps://www.AmericanFinancing.net/Dana or call 866-885-1332See how much you could be saving now with American Financing and get out from under that high-interest debt today. NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well-qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1332 for details about credit costs and terms, or visit www.AmericanFinancing.net/DanaAsk Chapter #250 Chapter can help you take control of your Medicare. Dial #250 and say “Medicare Plan” to get your options reviewed. Fast Growing Treeshttps://FastGrowingTrees.com/DanaGet huge spring deals with Fast Growing Trees, save up to 50% off selects plus an extra 20% off your first order. Use code DANA at checkout!Relief Factorhttps://ReliefFactor.com OR CALL 1-800-4-RELIEFTry Relief Factor's 3-week Quickstart for just $19.95—tell them Dana sent you and see if you can be next to control your pain!Patriot Mobilehttps://PatriotMobile.com/DANA or call 972-PATRIOTSwitch to Patriot Mobile in minutes—keep your number and phone or upgrade, then take a stand today with promo code DANA for a free month of service!Humannhttps://HumanN.comGet simple, delicious wellness support when you pick up Humann's Turmeric Chews at Sam's Club next time you're there and see why they're such a fan favorite!Byrnahttps://Byrna.com/DanaMake 2026 the year you protect your family with solid options—Get the Byrna today.Subscribe today and stay in the loop on all things news with The Dana Show. Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramXMore InfoWebsite

Stephen Grootes speaks to Sim Tshabalala, CEO of Standard Bank Group, after the lender reported strong results for the 2025 financial year. The bank posted headline earnings of R49.2 billion, with earnings per share and dividends both rising 12%, while return on equity reached 19.3%, the top end of its target range. The performance was supported by solid balance sheet growth, stronger fee and trading income, and lower credit impairments, alongside continued expansion across its African operations and increasing digital adoption among customers. In other interviews, Sanisha Packirisamy, Chief Economist at Momentum Investments talks about the surge in global oil prices after fresh shipping attacks in the Middle East pushed Brent crude oil above $100 a barrel. The spike comes after Oman evacuated its key export terminal at Mina Al Fahal and Iraqi oil terminals halted operations following tanker strikes, raising fears of deeper disruptions to global energy supply and trade routes near the Strait of Hormuz. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iran hits two foreign oil tankers in Iraqi waters, plus at least three others near the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks prompt the G7 to discuss escorting ships "when security conditions allow." Oil prices rocket past $100 a barrel, prompting the International Energy Agency to order the largest-ever release of emergency oil. President Trump says he will tap US reserves as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show, Ian asks, "What's the dumbest way you've injured yourself?" and explains how the mainstream media failed at its job when covering the justification of the Iraqi war. Also, Ian drops the 2 O'clock News Bomb and talks about the Supreme Leader of Iran wanting to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and more. Then, US Congressman Troy Carter joins the show to discuss what the war in the Middle East means for Louisiana's energy economy, the status of infrastructure projects funded during the Biden administration, and more. Also, Janine Zacharia, who spent two decades reporting on the Middle East, including as a Middle East correspondent for the Washington Post, and now teaches journalism at Stanford, joins Ian to discuss what grade the US media gets in covering the current war in the Middle East and what lessons the big newspapers and TV outlets learned from the failed coverage of the Iraq War.

This hour, Ian Hoch explains how the mainstream media failed at its job when covering the justification of the Iraqi war. Then, Ian speaks with Janine Zacharia, who spent two decades reporting on the Middle East, including as a Middle East correspondent for the Washington Post, and now teaches journalism at Stanford, about what grade the US media gets in covering the current war in the Middle East and what lessons the big newspapers and TV outlets learned from the failed coverage of the Iraq War.

Ian Hoch explains how the mainstream media failed at its job when covering the justification of the Iraqi war.

Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:1) Brent briefly jumped back above $100 a barrel after the Iran war led to more shipping turmoil in the Middle East and China tightened fuel export curbs to cope with the fallout from the conflict. The global oil benchmark surged as much as 10% to $101.59 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose to near $96, before paring gains. Two tankers were struck in Iraqi waters and Oman temporarily cleared ships from its key export terminal outside of the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the widening threats to energy supply and overshadowing a record reserves release by the IEA to try and cool prices. In further signs of strain, Chinese refiners have begun canceling agreed refined fuel export cargoes, including gasoline and diesel. The country’s top processors were told last week to stop signing new contracts, and the latest directive is a step up from the earlier guidance.2) Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc. have told staffers in Dubai to stay away from their offices as Iran’s attacks on Gulf cities continue. Goldman has instructed employees to seek permission before going into its offices across the Middle East, according to people familiar with the matter. Standard Chartered Plc also asked staff in the Dubai International Financial Centre and nearby areas to leave their offices on Wednesday, the people said, declining to be identified discussing confidential information. Several Wall Street banks have already been allowing employees in the United Arab Emirates to work remotely since the war began. Some lenders have also offered staff the option to temporarily leave the country, Bloomberg News has reported.3) President Trump’s administration started the first of several sweeping trade investigations that set the stage for new tariffs, the centerpiece of a push to replace levies struck down by the US Supreme Court. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Wednesday that his office would begin a probe into more than a dozen major economies under Section 301 of the Trade Act focused on alleged excess manufacturing capacity. The investigations, which typically take months to complete, are required for the president to unilaterally place duties on imports from specific countries deemed to employ unfair trading practices. Economies that will be subject to the inquiry include some of the US’s largest trading partners: China, the European Union, Mexico, India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oil prices have pulled back from $100 a barrel following several attacks on merchant vessels in the Gulf. Two tankers have been reportedly attacked overnight in Iraqi waters. The IEA announces its largest strategic reserve release of 400m barrels but energy markets remain wary. President Trump and the IEA's Fatih Birol vow to keep oil flowing. The White House launches a probe into several key trading partners including the EU and China which, under section 301, permit tariffs to counter unfair commerce practices. And in autos news, BMW enjoys a Q4 earnings beat despite tariffs affecting its FY guidance. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Explosive-laden boats, fuel tankers on fire, and a 9% jump in Brent crude—today was a nightmare for global energy. Join Sanket Bendre as he breaks down the chaotic session that left the Nifty at 23,639. We dive into the reports from Iraqi security officials and the sudden shutdown of major oil ports. Is the world heading for a permanent energy shock? Tune in for the reality behind the red screens.

Explosive-laden boats, fuel tankers on fire, and a 9% jump in Brent crude—today was a nightmare for global energy. Join Sanket Bendre as he breaks down the chaotic session that left the Nifty at 23,639. We dive into the reports from Iraqi security officials and the sudden shutdown of major oil ports. Is the world heading for a permanent energy shock? Tune in for the reality behind the red screens.

Explosive-laden boats, fuel tankers on fire, and a 9% jump in Brent crude—today was a nightmare for global energy. Join Sanket Bendre as he breaks down the chaotic session that left the Nifty at 23,639. We dive into the reports from Iraqi security officials and the sudden shutdown of major oil ports. Is the world heading for a permanent energy shock? Tune in for the reality behind the red screens.

During the wave of attacks in Tehran, a historic milestone was recorded in combat aviation: an 'Adir' F-35 aircraft of the Israeli Air Force shot down an Iranian fighter jet model 'Yak-130'. This is the first time in the world that a 'F-35' has shot down a manned fighter jet and the first shootdown in the Air Force in the past forty years. Reserve Lt.-Col. Danny Grossman, a former IAF F-4 navigator who was decorated for a mission involving the downing of an Iraqi fighter, said that it was the dream of every fighter pilot. He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that the quality of the aircraft and the pilot was something that ultimately benefited the Americans. (photo: Ofer Zidon/flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Samuel 2:1-10Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory.“There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them he has set the world.“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail. The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed.” It wasn't intentional that we saved Hannah's prayer for the week of International Women's Day, which was this past Sunday, but sometimes happy, holy accidents just happen. So it's good and right that we hear a prayer for justice from one of our ancestors – a woman – who prays a beautiful, bold, faithful, full-throated appeal like what we just heard; and another, which we'll hear shortly.Hannah, we know, was the mother of the prophet Samuel. And it's knowing that Hannah was one of two wives to a guy named Elkanah. Elkanah's other wife was a baby-making machine – she had sons and daughters aplenty, though we don't know how many. And Elkanah's other wife, described as Hannah's “rival,” was terrible about it. According to the story, she “provoked” and “irritated” Hannah, which I imagine means she mocked her and made fun of her and shamed her for not being able to have children as easily or as prolifically as she could.And, as Pastor Cogan reminded us on Sunday, in teaching about that un-named woman at the well who'd had five husbands by the time she met up with Jesus, having children – back in the day – was confirmation of your worth as a woman; it assured your status and place in a family; it was a very practical source of security (you'd have people to protect and provide for you, should you ever be widowed or alone); it was how you mattered as a woman in a misogynistic, patriarchal, man's world. So Hannah may have wanted a child because her mothering instincts were in full effect. She may also have wanted a baby because she wanted to make her husband happy. (The Bible tells us that Elkanah loved Hannah, in spite of the fact that she hadn't given him a child, yet.) But Hannah may have wanted a child – and a boy, in particular – simply because she longed for affirmation of her worth, of her value, of her esteem, in her own eyes, in the eyes of God, in the eyes of the world … and maybe so she could tell that “sister wife” of hers … Elkanah's other wife … to take a hike – or something similar.That's why Hannah prayed to and bargained so intensely with God. She promised she would commit her baby boy to a life of sacrifice and service to the Lord. And then it happened. God delivered. And Hannah delivered. And she kept her promise, too. She loved, cared for, fed and nurtured her little boy Samuel until she handed him over to the Lord; to live in the house of the high priest, Eli, and to become one of the greatest prophets in all of Israel's history.And Hannah's prayer for justice that we heard was prayed in celebration and with thanksgiving for God's answered prayer … for the gift of her baby boy. And Hannah's song sounds like the original to the Virgin Mary's cover version, so many generations later, in the Gospel of Luke – the Magnificat – which gets a whole lot more air-time because … Jesus.See, in Hannah's song, her heart “exults in the Lord,” she “smiles at her enemies” because she “rejoices in God's salvation.” Likewise, Mary's soul “magnifies the Lord” and her spirit “rejoices in God her savior.”Hannah says, “the bows of the mighty are broken,” and “the feeble gird on strength.” Mary says “the mighty are cast down from their thrones” and “the humble in heart are lifted up.”For Hannah, “Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.” Mary says the same, just more simply, “God has filled the hungry with good things.”You get the picture.The undeniable similarities between Hannah's prayer, like Mary's, show a profound theological understanding about our God. A God who treasures and cares for the least among us. A God who protects the vulnerable and who challenges the powers that be. A God who listens to and uses the least likely suspects to bring justice, to provoke peace, to proclaim grace, to practice mercy, to do hard, holy, brave, beautiful things for the sake of the Kingdom.Of course, justice of all sorts is worth praying about and working for in the world today. And since, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” because it's International Women's Month, and in honor of our ancestor Hannah, I found some things we could pray about, very specifically, where justice for women is concerned, and that impacts us all – or should:• Did you know that every year more than 2 million girls are subjected to female, genital mutilation?• Also, every year, 12 million girls in the world are married before their 18th birthday.• 3.9 billion women live in countries with at least one law restricting their economic opportunities or access to the same justice as men.• 90% of the world's current billionaires were born before women could even get a line of credit.• In the US, women get paid something like only 81-85% of what men do.• Still, 6 in 10 Gen Z men believe/agree that we – men – are being expected to do too much to support gender equality. (For what it's worth 4 in 10 Gen Z women believe the same.)So, not only is there plenty to pray about because there's plenty to be mad about, too. Which brings me to my last point for tonight. And that is the righteous anger I hear in the spirit of Hannah's prayer, as much as all the rest. It's what I hear when she prays that the lord “cuts off the wicked,” “shatters the adversaries,” and “thunders in heaven,” too.So, I've asked Mallory to read again … something I'm taking liberties to call a modern-day protest prayer – not for babies, or for value that's found in men's approval, or for worth by way of society's unfair standards – but a prayer for freedom and justice, generally, for women. It's a poem by the play write and feminist Eve Ensler. (You might remember her as the creator of “The Vagina Monologues” from back in the day.) This is a slightly abridged piece, minimally edited for content that's safe for worship.I Am Leaving My Father's House by Eve EnslerI am leaving my father's house.Stepping out, stepping off, free falling outside the confines of what is acceptable and known.I am leaving this cage which suppressed me, depressed me, made less of me so thoroughly I came to call it my legacy, my country, my home.I am leaving those angry men whose broken hearts and wounds became more painful and urgent than my own.I'm not going to be sorry anymore or responsible or wrong.I'm going to stop believing I can wake you up or break open your shell or get you to feel your grief, your tenderness.I'm going to stop mainlining my life force into your self-esteem.Air pump girl blowing up boy rubber ball. You can stay flat and go nowhere by yourself.I am leaving my father's house.I'm not going to whisper anymore or tiptoe or lay flat on my back.I'm not ducking, flinching, waiting till you finish or whimpering in the dark.I am moving out. I'm not going back.I am leaving my father's house.Because I no longer believe your lies about freedom and democracy – that it hurts you more than your whips or words or policies hurt me.I'm going to believe what I see: bruises on my neck, Iraqi women with their voting fingers chopped off, emaciated polar bears in the Arctic melting from corporate greed.I'm fleeing your disguised terror of my bigness, my hunger, my vagina, my tongue.I am leaving my father's house.I don't want a position there.I'm not going to leash your prisoners.I'm not going to starve your workers, organize your lynch mobs, or camouflage your crimes.I'm not going to be a trophy on your arm or smile till my face breaks off.I am leaving my father's house.Corporate towers, cathedrals, mosques, and synagogues, picket fence houses and pentagons.I'm going out.Past the neighborhoods, past nations, fundamental doctrines and misinterpreted laws, past the reach of your fist, past the fire breath of your rage, past the tentacles of your seductive melancholy or your unspoken promises to change. I am willing to be alone, disliked, slandered, and misconstrued, because my freedom is more important than your so-called love.Because my leaping will be the ultimate jumping off, will be the new beginning where we all get to start without a daddy in charge, on top, in control of all the goods, ideas, interpretations, and cash.I'm going out there by myself.But I know I will find the rest of you there waiting, ready, knee deep in the garden, hands raised in the water, way, way out past my father's house.So, many thanks to Hannah tonight for her patient faithfulness, for her selfless sacrifice, for her powerful proclamation; …for professing her faith, for promising justice, for proclaiming hope;…for pronouncing God's good news, mercy, abundance;…and for her righteous anger, too, that should stoke and give permission for our own.May we all pray in similar ways … for us and for others … until “the moral arc of the universe,” as the saying goes, “bends towards justice” … until righteousness and peace kiss one another … and until all of God's people – men, women, and everyone in between – a re found ready, waiting, and knee deep in the garden, hands raised in the water, and moved beyond the house of the world's patriarchy.Amen (The “Not Safe for Worship” version of Eve Ensler's poem can be watched below.)

This week we talk about Khamenei, Trump, and Netanyahu.We also discuss Venezuela, Cuba, and cartels.Recommended Book: Plagues upon the Earth by Kyle HarperTranscriptAli Hosseini Khamenei was an opposition politician in the lead-up to the Iranian Revolution that, in 1979, resulted in the overthrow of the Shah—the country's generally Western government-approved royal leader—and installed the Islamic Republic, an extremely conservative Shia government that took the reins of Iran following the Shah's toppling.Khamenei was Iran's third president, post-Shah, and he was president during the Iran-Iraq War from 1981-1989, during which the Supreme Leader of Iran, the head of the country, Ruhollah Khomeini sought the overthrow of then Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Khomeini died the same year the war ended, 1989, and Khamenei was elected to the role of Supreme Leader by the country's Assembly of Experts, which is responsible for determining such roles.The new Supreme Leader Khamenei was reportedly initially concerned that he wasn't suitable for the role, as his predecessor was a Grand Ayatollah of the faith, while he was just a mid-rank cleric, but the constitution of Iran was amended so that higher religious office was no longer required in a Supreme Leader, and in short order Khamenei moved to expound upon Iran's non-military nuclear program, to expand the use and reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in-country and throughout the region, and he doubled-down on supporting regional proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza, incorporating them into the so-called Axis of Resistance that stands against Western interests in the region—the specifics of which have varied over the decades, but which currently includes the aforementioned Hezbollah and Houthis, alongside smaller groups in neighboring countries, like Shiite militias in Bahrain, and forces that operate in other regional spheres of influence, like North Korea, Venezuela, and at times, portions of the Syrian government.Khamenei also reinforced the Iranian government's power over pretty much every aspect of state function, disempowering political opponents, cracking down on anyone who doesn't toe a very conservative extremist line—women showing their hair in public, for instance, have been black-bagged and sometimes killed while in custody—and thoroughly entangled the functions of state with the Iranian military, consolidating essentially all power under his office, Supreme Leader, while violently cracking down on anyone who opposed his doing whatever he pleased, as was the case with a wave of late-2025, early 2026 protests across the country, during which Iranian government forces massacred civilians, killing somewhere between 3,000 and 35,000 people, depending on whose numbers you believe.What I'd like to talk about today is a new war with Iran, kicked off by attacks on the country from Israel and the United States that led with the killing of Khamenei and a bunch of his higher-up officers, how this conflict is spreading across the region and concerns about that spreading, and what might happen next.—On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel launched a wave of joint air attacks against Iran, hitting mostly military and government sites across the country. One of the targets was Khamenei's compound, and his presence there, above-ground, which was unusual for him, as he spent most of his time deep underground in difficult-to-hit bunkers, alongside a bunch of government and military higher-ups, may have been the rationale for launching all of these attacks on that day, as the attackers were able to kill him and five other top-level Iranian leaders, who he was meeting with, at the same time.This wave of attacks followed the largest military buildup of US forces in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq back in 2003, and while military and government targets were prioritized, that initial wave also demolished a lot of civilian structures, including schools, hospitals, and the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, leading to a whole lot of civilian casualties and fatalities, as well.In response, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, and at US bases throughout the region—these bases located in otherwise uninvolved countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Iranian missiles and drones also hit non-military targets, and in some cases maybe accidentally hit civilian infrastructure, in Azerbaijan, and Oman, alongside a British military base on the island of Cyprus.The Iranian president apologized in early March for his country's lashing out at pretty much everyone, saying that there were miscommunications within the Iranian military, and that Iran wouldn't hit anyone else, including countries with US bases, so long as US attacks didn't originate from those bases.Despite that apology, though, Iranian missiles and drones continued to land in many of those neighboring countries following his remarks, raising questions about communications and control within the now-decapitated Iranian military.This new conflict follows long-simmering tensions between Iran and Israel—the former of which has said it will someday wipe the latter from the face of the Earth, considering its existence an abomination—and long-simmering tensions related to Iran's nuclear program, which the government has continuously said is just for civilian, energy purposes, but which pretty much everyone suspects, with a fair bit of evidence, is, in parallel, also a weapons program.Iran's influence throughout the region has been truncated in recent years, due to a sequence of successes by the Israeli military and intelligence services, which allowed them to hobble or nearly wipe out traditional Iranian proxy forces like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, which have collectively surrounded and menaced Israel for decades.Those menacing forces more or less handled, Israel has become more aggressive in its confrontations with Iran, exchanging large air attacks several times over the past handful of years, and the US under Trump's second term continues to see Iran as the main opposition to their efforts to build a US-aligned counterbalance against Russian and Chinese influence in the Middle East, with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and increasingly entities like Qatar and the UAE playing ball with the West, while Iran and its allies stand firm against the West.Trump has regularly threatened to act in Iran, usually waiting for the Iranian government to do something really bad, like that recent massacre of civilians following those large anti-government protests in late-2025, early 2026, and that to some degree has served as justification for the massing of US military assets in the region, leading up to this attack.Now that the attack has launched, a new war triggered, the question is how big it will get and how long it will last.For the moment, it looks like Iran's government and military is very much on the back foot, a lot of their assets taken out in that initial wave, and they're still scrambling to put someone in charge to replace Khamenei and those other higher-ups who were assassinated at the outset of this war—that'll likely change soon, maybe even before this episode goes live. But whomever takes the reins will have quite the task ahead of them, probably—according to many analysts, at least—aiming to just hold out until the US runs out of ammunition, which is expected to happen within a week or so, at which point Iran can launch surgical attacks, aiming to make this war too expensive, in terms of money and US lives, for the Trump administration to continue investing in, as money and lives are especially expensive in an election year, which 2026 is. So the idea is to grind the US down until it makes more political sense for Trump to just declare victory and leave, rather than allowing this to become a Vietnam or Afghanistan situation for his administration.It's also generally expected that when the US pulls out, Israel probably will too, as they've already made their point, tallied a bunch of victories, and set Iran back in a lot of ways; they could walk away whenever they like and say they won. And Iran would probably be incentivized to, at that point, avoid doing anything that would lead to more punishment, though they would almost certainly immediately begin rebuilding the same exact centralized, militarized infrastructure that was damaged, the only difference being they would have someone else on top, as the Supreme Leader. Relations could be even worse moving forward, but it would probably be at least a few years before Iran could do anything too significant to their regional enemies, which I guess if you're Israel does, in fact, represent a win.But considering the unlikelihood of permanent change in Iran, the big question here, in the minds of many, is what this war, this attack, is even for.For Israel, the main purpose of any attack against Iran is to weaken or destroy an enemy that has made no secret about wanting to weaken and destroy them. For the US, though, and the Trump administration more specifically, the point of all this isn't as clear.Some contend that this is another effort to steal attention and headlines from the increasingly horrifying revelations coming out of the investigation into the Epstein files, which seem to indicate Trump himself was involved in all sorts of horrible, pedophilic sexual assault activities with the late human-trafficker.Some suspect that the apparent victory in grabbing former Venezuelan president Maduro from his own country and whisking him away to the US without suffering any US casualties has emboldened Trump, and that he's going to use the time he's got to take out anyone he doesn't like, and may even specifically target authoritarian leaders who will not be missed—who oppress and kill their own people—because then it's difficult for his political opponents to call him out on these efforts.Most Venezuelans are happy to see Maduro gone, and many Iranians celebrated when Khamenei was assassinated. Trump has publicly stated that he intends to go after Cuba, next, and continues to suggest he wants a war of sorts with Mexican and south and central American cartels, which follows this same pattern of demonstrating a muscular, aggressive, militarized United States doing whatever it wants, even to the point of kidnapping or assassinating foreign leaders, but doing so in a way that is difficult to argue against, because the leaders and other forces being taken out are so horrible, at times to the point of being monstrous, that these acts, as illegal as they are according to internal laws, can still seem very justified, through some lenses.Still others have said they believe this is purely an Israeli op, and the US under Trump is just helping out one of Trump's buddies, Israel's Netanyahu, who wants to keep his country embroiled in war in order to avoid being charged for corruption.The real rationale could be a combination of these and other considerations, but the threat here, regionally, is real, especially if Iran continues to lash out at its neighbors.This part of the world is renowned for its fuel reserves and exports, and every time there's a Middle Eastern conflict, energy prices rise, globally, and other nations that produce such exports, like Russia, benefit financially because they can charge more for their oil and gas for a while—gas prices in the US have already increased by 14% over the past week as a result of the conflict—and those increases also then the raises the price of all sorts of other goods, spiking inflation.Another huge concern here, though, is that this part of the world is highly reliant on the desalination of water just to survive; massive desalination plants, most located along the coast, where they are very exposed to military threats, are at risk if Iran and Saudi Arabia, or Kuwait, or Oman start firing at each other in earnest.About 90% of Kuwait's drinking water comes from these sorts of plants, and about 86% of Oman's and 70% of Saudi Arabia's do, as well.Earlier in this war, a US strike damaged an Iranian desalination plant, and the Iranian foreign minister made a not-so-veiled threat against such plants in neighboring countries, saying the US set the precedent of attacking such infrastructure, not them.Worth noting here, too, is that many desalination plants are attached to power stations, located within the same facility, so attacks on power infrastructure, which are already common in any conflict, could also lead to more damaged desalination plants, all of which could in turn create massive humanitarian crises, as people living in some of the hottest, driest parts of the world find themselves, in the millions, without drinkable water.The potential for a spiraling humanitarian disaster increases with each passing day, then, which would seem to increase the likelihood that someone will stop, declare victory, and move on to the next conflict. But there's always the chance the one or more of the involved forces will clamp down and decide that it's in their best interest to keep things going as long as possible, instead—and in this case, it would likely be Iran playing that role, locking the US and Israel and their allies into a grinding, long-term conflict that no one would actually win.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_of_Resistancehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_state_funeral_of_Ruhollah_Khomeinihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacreshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khameneihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Ali_Khameneihttps://www.eurasiareview.com/08032026-strikes-continue-despite-iranian-presidents-apology/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trump-rejects-settling-iran-war-raises-prospect-killing-all-its-potential-2026-03-08/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/irans-retaliation-began-us-officials-scrambled-arrange-evacuations-2026-03-07/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/mapping-crisis-iran-visual-explainer-2026-03-06/https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-08-2026https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-march-8-2026-f0b20dbffaea9351ae1e54183ffe53ffhttps://apnews.com/article/iran-war-desalination-water-oil-middle-east-12b23f2fa26ed5c4a10f80c4077e61cehttps://apnews.com/video/trump-says-us-will-turn-attention-to-cuba-after-war-with-iran-91c3f239c18349fdb409f901c50b7e71https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/03/08/world/iran-war-trump-israel-lebanonhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/us/politics/trump-russia-ukraine-iran-war.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/us/politics/iran-war-first-week.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/03/08/opinion/iran-war-ayatollah.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

Is this what the start of World War Three looks like?On the 11th day of the US-Israeli war with Iran, Roland looks at how the conflict is broadening well beyond Iran's borders. President Donald Trump has hinted the war is nearly over, but ACLED CEO Clionadh Raleigh says it is dangerously close to dragging in Russia and China given they have already openly backed Iran. She also talks through what the data says about this conflict so far, from the high intensity of the military campaign to the surprisingly low casualty rates. Plus, Senior Foreign Correspondent Sophia Yan reports from the Iraqi side of the Iranian border where she has been speaking to Iranian Kurdish separatist leaders who say they have thousands of fighters ready to go. Trump has flip-flopped over whether he would support the separatist groups as a proxy ground force in the US-Israel war against Iran. But they say America cannot topple Tehran's regime without their help.CONTRIBUTORS:Roland Oliphant, Chief Foreign Affairs Analyst and co-host @RolandOliphantSophia Yan, Senior Foreign Correspondent @sophiayanClionadh Raleigh, ACLED CEO, @cliona_raleighCONTENT REFERENCED:Trump needs us to win war, says Kurdish opposition commanderhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/08/kurdish-militia-leader-trump-needs-us-to-win-iran-war/Kurds desperate to invade Iran... if they get Trump's jetshttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/08/kurds-desperate-invade-iran-cover-trump-jets/Producer: Peter ShevlinExecutive Producer: Louisa Wells► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor► EMAIL US:Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk ► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES:Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are continuing our conversation with Agnès Callamard, the secretary general of Amnesty International. On Sunday, tens of thousands of women around the world marked International Women's Day by demonstrating against gender-based violence and calling for an end to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. And today marks the opening of a major United Nations summit: the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. This all comes a week after Iraqi human rights defender and feminist advocate Yanar Mohammed was assassinated in Baghdad. She was killed in an attack on her home.

We are continuing our conversation with Agnès Callamard, the Secretary General Amnesty International. On Sunday, tens of thousands of women around the world marked International Women's Day by demonstrating against gender-based violence and calling for an end to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. And today marks the opening of a major United Nations summit–the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. This all comes a week after Iraqi human rights defender and feminist advocate Yanar Mohammed was assassinated in Baghdad. She was killed in an attack on her home.

In this episode of The Wisdom Of ... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Dr Naba Alfayadh, emergency medicine doctor, social entrepreneur, Stanford-trained innovator, and Founder and CEO of Rahma Health. Naba's organisation has reached over 3 million Arabic-speaking families globally, achieved 95% parent behaviour change in under 10 minutes, and in 2025 won three simultaneous national Telstra awards, including Business of the Year. A former Iraqi refugee who fled war at age 10, Naba has built a life and an organisation at the intersection of medicine, technology, and the most foundational force she's identified in human development … love.Simon builds a live visual model, ‘The Rahma Health Behaviour Change Pathway', capturing the precise framework behind how cultural safety becomes the gateway to real, measurable transformation.Ready to apply systematic frameworks like this in your own business?Join Simon's Masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass.Episode Breakdown00:00 Welcome to The Wisdom Of ... Show and introduction of Dr Naba Alfayadh04:15 From Iraq to Australia, the refugee journey that shaped everything10:30 Founding Happy Brain Education at 22: what a student sees that institutions miss17:45 The genesis of Rahma Health and why COVID turned out to be the moment24:10 What "culturally safe" actually means and why it's a performance variable, not a value statement31:55 The behaviour change data: how 5–10 minutes produces 95% change and doubled health literacy38:20 LIVE MODEL BUILD: The Rahma Health Behaviour Change Pathway47:00 Intergenerational trauma, the precise mechanism by which conditional love becomes a survival programme55:30 Unconditional love as leadership: what the research shows and why it's not soft01:03:15 The three principles for leading across cultures: listening, respect, and love01:10:40 Kookaburra Kindness, writing a children's book with her daughter in response to the Bondi tragedy01:17:00 What it means to build something. Not to become a billionaire, but because there are things to be done.01:17:53 Closing reflections and the green lineAbout Dr Naba AlfayadhDr Naba Alfayadh is a General Practice Registrar, emergency medicine doctor, public health leader, and serial social entrepreneur whose work has supported more than three million people globally. She is the Founder and CEO of Rahma Health, an award-winning Australian charity creating culturally and psychologically safe health and parenting resources for Arabic-speaking families worldwide.Born in Iraq, Dr Alfayadh fled to Australia in 2003 at age 10 during the Iraq War, after her school was bombed. She graduated from Monash University with MBBS/BMedSci degrees on a Merit and Equity Scholarship, and later studied Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Stanford University. She co-founded Happy Brain Education at age 22, growing it to serve 2,000+ students with 50 staff across two states, before founding Rahma Health in 2021.Under her leadership, Rahma Health has reached over 3 million users globally, partnered with 50 international organisations, and published research with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute demonstrating that health literacy more than doubled after just 5–10 minutes of platform use, with 95% of parents reporting behaviour change. She currently serves on the Governance Committee, updating Maternity and Neonatal Handbooks for Safer Care Victoria.In 2025, Dr Alfayadh was named Telstra Business of the Year, Telstra Championing Health, and Telstra Accelerating Women - three simultaneous national awards. She also received the Women's Health Medal of Distinction Australasia 2025 and the Monash Emerging Leaders Alumni Award. She is a Westpac Social Change Fellow and a Women's Agenda Leadership Awards Finalist.Connect with Dr Naba Alfayadh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmalfayadh/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myrahmahealth/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myrahmahealth/Website: https://rahma.health/about-rahma-health/About Simon BowenSimon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations.Connect with SimonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs!Sign Up Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter.Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method.Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact.Watch it Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass.

Episode 280-Top 7 NJ Carry Guns Also Available OnSearchable Podcast Transcript Gun Lawyer — Episode Transcript Page – 1 – of 11 Gun Lawyer — Episode 280 Transcript SPEAKERS Speaker 3, Teddy Nappen, Evan Nappen Evan Nappen 00:17 I’m Evan Nappen. Teddy Nappen 00:19 and I’m Teddy Nappen. Evan Nappen 00:21 And welcome to Gun Lawyer. Hey, Teddy, guess who finally quit smoking? Teddy Nappen 00:28 You quit smoking? Evan Nappen 00:30 No. The Ayatollah Khomeini. Teddy Nappen 00:32 Oh! Evan Nappen 00:35 There you go. Actually, the thing is, we’re now in a situation where you may have seen the warnings going out about an increased, seriously increased, threat of danger in the homeland. For the, who knows, how many that the Biden administration let in, actual terrorists on the terrorist watch list, and how many unknowns and got aways, and just all those folks that have infiltrated the country that they’re warning about sleeper cells and already starting to see some incidents occurring. And I think it’s fair to say that we all need to be very vigilant, and since most of us are folks that are armed, that carry, we become an important element in the defense of our country. Evan Nappen 01:39 So, I want to talk today about practical considerations regarding firearm carry guns in New Jersey. We want to talk about the guns that are appropriate and are really some of the top most popular carry guns in New Jersey. Now, none of this means these are guns we’re going to talk about that make it that. You know, if you choose to carry any gun that you like, that’s fine. None of this is critical of any firearm that you may be carrying. I just want to talk about ones. It was inspired to talk about this from an article I found in Breitbart. Now Breitbart’s article is the “Five Concealed Carry Guns First-Time Buyers Should Consider”. (https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/03/03/five-concealed-carry-guns-first-time-buyers-should-consider/) Page – 2 – of 11 Evan Nappen 02:30 and I want to. Teddy Nappen 02:32 Number one, Gyrojet pistol. Evan Nappen 02:34 Right. Definitely grab that old Gyrojet. Oh, my God. In case you don’t know what a Gyrojet is, it was, literally, a rocket firing pistol. It launched cartridges or bullets or projectiles, if you will, in a similar way that you fire rockets, not a bullet. So, it’s actually, a gyro jet gun is closer to an Iranian missile launcher, frankly, than a gun. But they were not a commercial success. They’re very collectible and fascinating. You can read more about Gyrojets online. I happen to own a Gyrojet as an example of a rocket pistol. But no, that’s not a gun I would suggest carrying in New Jersey. Evan Nappen 03:27 First of all, it’s too valuable just to carry, and the ammo is like incredibly hard to find. Each cartridge is very valuable as a collectible in and of itself. But here it is from Breitbart. Now this article is by AWR Hawkins, who’s an excellent gun writer, and as he begins the article, he says, with military action in Iran raging and concerns about staying safe stateside, we thought it would be helpful to put together a list of five concealed carry guns that first time buyers should consider. So, I’m going to, and that’s a good thought right now, what we’re dealing with. I’m going to modify from what he’s talking about, is just to carry guns in New Jersey, whether you’re first time or not a first time. There are advantages and disadvantages to a number of the firearms that they’re putting out, and we have to put in the concerns that we have in New Jersey. One of the primary concerns at the moment in New Jersey is, of course, that you can’t have a magazine that holds over 10 rounds. So, the handguns that we’re going to carry in New Jersey have to have a limitation in the magazine of 10 rounds. Now, that does not include one round in the chamber. So, in theory, you can have 10 rounds in a magazine and one round in the chamber, and you are legal in New Jersey for that carry gun. Evan Nappen 04:56 So, what happens is there are a number of handguns out there that, of course, are wonderful, wonderful guns. They are larger frame and normally hold standard magazine capacity definitely over 10 rounds. And you can start, you know, with just a Glock 19 that would have the standard magazine of 15 rounds. An excellent carry gun and super popular. But in New Jersey, putting aside, let’s just say the Glock 19 happens to fit your hand really well, and I understand that. But in reality, you’re carrying a gun that is larger than you necessarily need. Again, if it works for you, that’s fine, but it’s larger than you necessarily need, which makes it arguably somewhat less concealable. And yet you’re being limited in one of the nice features about it is that you could have the increased firepower of 15 rounds, but New Jersey stops you from that. So, you have to have a 10-round mag in your Glock 19, that’s a nine millimeter. Evan Nappen 06:04 So since New Jersey is forcing us to have 10 round mags, why not conform, at least to the degree of having a much more concealable, but just as deadly, more concealable handgun that would carry up to Page – 3 – of 11 the 10 rounds. And in our modern world today, there are a lot of excellent choices of, you know, nine millimeter and other calibers. But nine is primarily one of the most popular self-defense calibers out there at the moment that hold 10 rounds, but are very compact, very concealable. And the article lists these, and let’s talk about some. Some others that I’ll add in. Evan Nappen 06:57 They put as the number one, the Sig Sauer P365. So, the P365 is an excellent carry gun for sure, and it’s very compact. And as you know, Sig re-designed or created into the design. They designed a gun around the magazine so they could have a 10-round magazine and have a gun that is extremely compact. The P365 is striker fired, and it’s about, you know, 4.3 inches tall, about 5.8 inches long. It weighs in at about 17.8 ounces, and it comes with two 10-round mags. So, it’s New Jersey legal. There’s all kinds of you can get go MOS. It’s set up for that so you can have your sites if you get an MOS model. There are many different variations on the P365 that will have features that may fit you better. It’s a proven gun. So, it’s definitely one of the most popular and definitely a good choice for New Jersey. Evan Nappen 08:10 The next gun in the article is the Glock 43X and that’s also one of the most popular pistols in America. It’s single stack. So, what that means is the magazine loads one round on top of the other, as opposed to the SIG 365 which is kind of that double stack, where the rounds are kind of side by side in the magazine, filling it up as a box. Whereas the Glock is single, straight down in the line, and they do, and it does have a 10-round mag. The Glock is somewhat slightly larger. It’s about 6.5 inches long, and it’s about 1.1 inches in width, and about 5.04 inches in its height, tall. It weighs in at about 18.7 ounces. So, it’s a slightly heavier, slightly larger than the P365. But it’s very popular, very concealable, and it has a 10-round magazine. Evan Nappen 09:29 Now keep in mind that it’s possible for any of these guns, the Sig, or any of these two, of course, to have magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. But they’re essentially made from their creation as a 10-round gun, and that’s important in New Jersey. Because, at the moment, and hopefully this will go away, but at the moment, we’re restricted to that. So, having the concealable ability of being very, very stealthy and not being made, let’s say, as being a carrier. Because you’re concealing a firearm so well, you’re less likely to have printing and other issues where it can be kind of signaled to folks that you might be carrying, which is a good way to think when dealing with New Jersey. Because even though we have a carry permit, even though we’re legal to carry, discretion is still the word of the day. So, you want to remain discrete. Evan Nappen 10:27 Your best bet is for no one to know that you’re carrying in New Jersey, and that is both the cops and the criminals. We need to be discrete because we’ve experienced many times through the office that individuals, where their gun is somehow ID on the person, and even though they’re legal, maybe their shirt showed for a brief second, which the law actually understands can happen. It’s not a crime when that happens. But the next thing you know, police are called about somebody carrying a gun, or they believe someone has a gun, and it can escalate into all kinds of problems. So, the idea in New Jersey Page – 4 – of 11 is to be able to be armed and be armed to the max that the law allows us to be. But to keep the concealability factor and the discretion and discreteness very tight. We are NOT an open carry state. We want to make it so that that firearm gives you a tactical edge in the fact that should you need it, the use of it is, to a certain degree, giving you the advantage of surprise. So, keep that in mind. And so these guns are fitting that bill very nicely. Evan Nappen 11:42 Now the article also talks about the CZ P-10 C, which is a ported pistol. This is also a compact gun and also has the 10-round magazine. The CZ is interesting because the German army actually adopted this pistol model, you know, and so it has certain definite reliability. And a lot of folks like the ergonomics, but it, too, is polymer, and in the same kind of class as the 365 and the 43X. Again, it’s a good choice for New Jersey, should you like that gun. Now, the article talks about the Palmetto Dagger. Palmetto is a decent gun for the money. And let me tell you, they’re a bargain, that’s for sure. They are budget oriented, but they are, you know, they shoot. They’re reliable, they work and such. But the Palmetto Dagger is more along the lines of a Glock 19 and there, yeah, you can get a 10 round mag for it, and maybe you want the slightly, you know, somewhat larger frame, what we might call a medium frame. But in terms of its, you know, you can get more concealable with the other guns we’ve been talking about. It’s still a good gun out there. It’s a nice package, especially for the money. Palmetto puts out a gun that really is a bit of a bargain, honestly, for what they’re offering. But you don’t have the same compactness as the other firearms offer. Evan Nappen 13:36 And the fifth gun talked about in the article is a Ruger LCR polymer revolver. So, that is a revolver similar to, it’s essentially a snub nose .38. But in Polymer, it still can handle the plus P 38. Some folks might prefer a revolver to a semi-auto pistol. Of course, the rounds get less. You’re probably talking here about a five shot and such. But it is an excellent firearm for what it is. If you’re, if you want a wheel gun for its simplicity, it doesn’t leave cartridge cases lying around, or whatever. A revolver may be your way to go. Now, in terms of that type of revolver, the Ruger is good gun. But I happen to have a personal love of the J frame Smith, of the Smith & Wesson. You know, the J frame class, which includes the model, the original, of course, is the 36 or the Chief Special, and you get into all the variations of the J frame, on that J frame. There’s a lot of other snub .38 out there that Smith makes that would also fill the bill. These revolvers are affectionately known as pocket rockets, and they’re good guns. So, if you’re a revolver person, if you’re looking for something concealable, there are plenty of great revolvers. But if we’re talking concealability, then this is a classic. The Ruger and the Smith would fit that bill in snub nose .38. It would give you features that a revolver offers. Teddy Nappen 15:29 If the whole, I would say, for the whole article is supposed to be the idea of people like this is your first gun to buy. Like that was kind of the main focus. I lean off of for Ruger, like the very first revolver I ever got, the GP 100. That was very like, yeah, learn to work with right yourself. Evan Nappen 15:47 And revolvers are good for that. But here, the article in Breitbart is about, like, your first gun. And getting into that. I get it. But what I’m looking at here is taking this article and talking about, not Page – 5 – of 11 necessarily that it’s your first gun, but looking at guns that meet the criteria under New Jersey law, that are effective for carry, that can get you the concealability. And yeah, you know, they’re bigger revolvers that can fire even more powerful, so that you can bump up easier to a .357. You get a four inch barrel or a six inch barrel revolver and have a full size frame. Really be able to put some powerful loads, get some great target shooting and great experience. There’s something to be said for that. But when it comes to carry, we’re looking for the concealability and the stopping power. We’re looking for the ability to conform to New Jersey law and remain discrete. Evan Nappen 16:44 One of the other guns that I would like to talk about that is not mentioned in the article, but one that I happen to particularly like, is the Shadow Systems CR920 Elite. (https://shadowsystemscorp.com/cr920/) So, if you haven’t seen a Shadow System CR920, that gun is pricier, for sure. But it is really a great gun, and it is nine millimeters well as a 10-round mag. So, it fits the bill for New Jersey. They have a lot of features on it that kind of make it a highly upgraded Glock 43X to be honest. It’s very similar in the size. In fact, the holsters that would take a Glock 43X will actually work perfectly with a with the Shadow System CR920. So, it’s something to consider. If you ever had a chance to shoot shadow systems, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It is definitely a bit of an upgrade and a gun that I personally like, but all these guns will be able to serve you well and be able to protect you and your loved ones. Evan Nappen 18:03 And you can know that you can carry them lawfully under New Jersey law with your permit to carry. You stay concealed and discreet in your carry and that’s the way we as New Jersey gun carriers need to be. So, this is something to consider when talking about guns that you carry. And again, there are so many other great handguns, great calibers. None of this is saying that any of these are any better than anybody else’s. You have to look at your needs and what you want, what your budget and what you can afford. But stick to the key principles. That is that you practice, that you shoot it well, that you exercise safety, that you know the laws, that you stick to being discrete, discretion is key in New Jersey. So that you don’t end up having to call me, even though you are 100% innocent, but now we have to deal with the legal situation. You’re best bet is to do what I’m saying. Be discreet and protect yourself in that manner. Hey, let me. Teddy Nappen 18:05 Or have them all put in for the CMP, and you can carry a piece of history with yourself. Evan Nappen 18:49 Yeah, right. Well, if you want to get a nice 1911. We’re definitely upping the game here. And nothing wrong with carrying the 1911, but it is definitely a much larger firearm and very powerful, very reliable. I love my 1911. Who doesn’t? But, you know, this is a different way of thinking when it’s coming to protecting yourself. And of course, you still can max out to the 10 rounds easily with this in a compact package. So, that’s what makes these nice. Page – 6 – of 11 Evan Nappen 19:13 If you want to check out any of these guns and you want to get your practice and your training and even your certifications, well, we know no place better than WeShoot. WeShoot is a gun range in Lakewood. That’s where Teddy and I shoot, and we got our certification. They have guns there that you can try. They’ll be able to set you up with your perfect concealed carry gun and get you the training. Help you get your license as well by getting the qualifications that you need. And this is also part of the package. So, when you want to become a defender and stay a defender, you need to have the training. You need to have a place to practice, a place to shoot. And WeShoot does that very thing. They’re an indoor range in Lakewood, conveniently off the Parkway. A great place right there in Central New Jersey. So you want to check out WeShoot at weshootusa.com. Go to their website. They will absolutely be able to set you up perfectly with a firearm that meets your needs, especially in this environment where we are at war with the number one sponsor of terror. Evan Nappen 20:50 And, folks, I would find it hard to believe that they have not preempted our ability to defend ourselves by having sleeper cells and other agents that are in our country that we should expect will be looking to wreak havoc and chaos. And, you know, this was done under the, with the eyes closed of the Biden administration, primarily. President Trump for trying to clean up that, that mess that allowed that to happen, and he’s currently engaged in changing the world, changing the world where we can make such a huge difference. And it’s finally President. You know, I’ve been, as many of you have lived through 47 years of Iranian Islamic fundamentalism, terror, and all the things that it brought upon us. And it may finally, finally, be coming to an end. But it isn’t over yet, and it may very well come down to your ability and my ability, our ability, to defend ourselves right here at home. And luckily, the expansion of our ability to carry because of Bruen and forcing the issuance of carry permits, gives us this opportunity to be able to do something that, you know, half a dozen years ago, we would not have even been able to do in New Jersey. And that’s carry to protect ourselves in the face of a national security threat to our homeland. So, take advantage of that and check out weshootusa.com for your firearm needs. Evan Nappen 21:12 Let me also mention our good friends at the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs. They are the state affiliate of the NRA. They are the folks fighting for our rights in Trenton and in the courts. Hopefully they’ll get that magazine ban finally overturned. We’re looking cautiously optimistic at that. So we’ll be able to actually have guns to carry more than 10 rounds. When that happens, we’ll be able to buy larger capacity magazines for our highly concealable nines that we’re currently carrying, and that will give us even more ability to defend ourselves and our loved ones and our in our country, for that matter. So the Association is hard at work. Go to anjrpc.org so you can join and be part of the solution. You’ll get email alerts. You’ll be told what shenanigans are going on down in Trenton and what case law changes are taking place. So, check out anjrpc.org, the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs. Evan Nappen 24:28 And while you’re at it, make sure you pick up a copy of my book, New Jersey Gun Law. It’s the bible of New Jersey gun law. It’s over 500 pages, 120 topics, all question and answer. Make sure you have a Page – 7 – of 11 copy of that book so you can keep your gun rights and not end up in jail and turned into what I call a law-abiding criminals because of New Jersey’s insanity of gun laws. I tried to create this very user-friendly manual. Go to EvanNappen.com, EvanNappen.com, and pick up your copy today. Teddy, what do you have to share with us today in Press Checks? Teddy Nappen 25:09 Well, as you know, Press Checks are always free and well, we can all see right now that Trump’s Operation Epic Fury is going well. It’s already met multiple of the objectives and frankly, the level of damage that we have just taken out the entire Iranian Navy and the multiple sites they have hit and taking out not only the Ayatollah, the Ayatollah’s successor, who was there for seven minutes. You know, just here’s your hat, and he’s gone. And then the successor’s successor. It’s just, their leadership has been toppled. And this really sets the tone and level and power that the U.S. has. And all it took was having someone actually with the will to act. So, just going off of that, I was scrolling through AmmoLand, and I saw a very interesting article that made a good point. And this is by they just said the AmmoLand Staff. “Iran’s Power Vacuum Highlights the Importance of an Armed Citizenry”. (https://www.ammoland.com/2026/03/irans-power-vacuum-highlights-the-importance-of-an-armed-citizenry/) Teddy Nappen 26:28 So, they were referencing from the Citizens Committee for Right to Keep and Bear Arms, where they put out a press release talking about how the Iranian people’s lack of the most important safeguard of liberty that the Americans possess, the right to keep and bear arms. The Chairman of the group, Alan Gottlieb, says that Iran does not have the equivalent of our sacred Second Amendment. The Iranian people need it bad. And highlighting to what the Founding Fathers believed were the Second Amendment is the safeguard to a tyrannical rule. Everyone can agree that Iran was a tyrannical rule. It was a theocracy ran by radical, crazy clerics. You know that, and I just love every time the Left. You know the hands off Iran, Free Maduro like that. It just shows you the level of disingenuousness from the part from that party. Teddy Nappen 27:30 But just to highlight the fact, for those of you who may be living under a rock, the Iran regime has ruled for more than four decades with authoritarianism. Suppressing dissidents, jailing critics, killing them also, and slaughtering protesters. They actually were importing in Iraqi militia groups to just start gunning down protesters after Trump had taken out the, and as the protests were breaking out in Iran, prior to Epic Fury. So, as was also stated, the symbol and freedom in our nation, the symbol and freedom in a nation of slaves is the gun. Because it enshrines the ability for the people to keep the Government in check. Again, I always hear the stupid Leftist argument like, oh yeah, you really think your Second Amendment is going to help you against the F15s or the United States military? Give me a break. Every single one of us who are able to carry, it would be one of the largest standing armies in our country. Teddy Nappen 28:38 And also, I love how they make that argument. And also say, you know, an unarmed group of protesters about to overthrow the Government. So, you know. But, you know, they keep referencing Page – 8 – of 11 January 6, like it’s Chris, like it’s a Christmas holiday. But the point being is that the Second Amendment keeps these things in check. Because right now, that was the whole push, was to have the people rise up against their oppressors. Imagine what would have happened if all the Iranian people actually had access to firearms? I actually pulled the laws. So, I went and see like, okay, what was it? What was it like? What were the ways of getting people to, if you wanted to buy a gun and you were an Iranian citizen in Iran, what would you do? And it seems they’ve modeled themselves off of New Jersey. You have to obtain a gun license in Iran, and it involves several steps, including a background check, psychological examination, and firearm safety course. You have to apply for your gun permit at your local police station. They have to do criminal record, military service status, complete a psychological evaluation to ensure mental stability, taking a firearm safety course and passing a written practical exam, pay your fees, of course, and wait to be approved. So, if you do everything else, you have to be approved by higher authorities, which could take several months. Evan Nappen 30:03 It isn’t that far from what New Jersey actually requires. Jersey is virtually the Iranian totalitarian state of gun laws. Teddy Nappen 30:17 Yeah, and also, it is illegal to possess a firearm without the proper licensing, which is punishable by imprisonment and fines. Carrying a firearm without a license is punishable up to three years in prison. Evan Nappen 30:31 Wait. Only three years? In New Jersey, you can go for 10 years. So, they’re actually a little more reasonable in Iran than in New Jersey. Teddy Nappen 30:42 Yeah. And also, this is something that people need to remember. We are a nation of firearms. Firearms are enshrined in our culture. They cannot take that away, as much as the Left tries to propagandize us out of it. To give you a perspective. In Iran, this is cited from gunpolicy.org. In 2017 it was about 3.5 firearms per 100 residents, as opposed to in 2017 there are 120 firearms per 100 residents in the United States. And that was in 2017. So, imagine actually having the accessibility for firearms, actually having the ability to rise up if you ever needed to. That’s why you have all the Leftists right now flocking the gun shops, trying to buy firearms. Evan Nappen 31:30 Well, the latest, the latest numbers, we have over 500 million privately owned firearms in America. Yep, over 500 million. Teddy Nappen 31:42 We have to get those numbers up. Evan Nappen 31:43 I agree. Page – 9 – of 11 Teddy Nappen 31:44 Yes. Evan Nappen 31:44 Let’s hit that 1 billion mark. Let’s work on it, folks. Teddy Nappen 31:47 This isn’t and also this isn’t a vacuum. When you look at other dictatorships, this is the first step. This is what they do. You have to disarm the populace because they do not want any rising up, any resistance groups or militias, when you’re being an authoritarian regime. And cut to another one of Trump’s highlights of Venezuela. What did you, under the Venezuelan Government, another authoritarian regime, where they also made it nearly impossible to get firearms. Where you could apply for a license to the Venezuelan armed forces. Of course, you need a background check, training requirements, inspections. But here’s the kicker. In 2012 the Venezuelan Government suspends all legal firearm sales to private citizens. Evan Nappen 32:39 Hmm. Why would they do that? Teddy Nappen 32:41 Yeah, I wonder why? Oh, in their words, combating criminal organizations and preventing weapons from falling into the wrong hands. Evan Nappen 32:53 It wouldn’t happen to do with who was in power politically at that time? Teddy Nappen 32:58 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Former leader Maduro, no, guar, no, guar. Yeah. And also, they try to make like, there’s no explicit law banning firearm ownership, just a suspension on firearms of private citizens. I know they’re so reasonable. Oh, and they are required to register all their firearms with the Government. Oh, hmmm. I wonder why? It’s the, it’s the disingenuousness on the Left for why the Second Amendment is so important. Evan Nappen 33:37 Well, let’s answer that question for folks. And that’s because the Registration leads to the Confiscation, and that’s what registration is all about. Why do we fight registration? Because it is a step toward confiscation. Then after confiscation comes the political reality of a extermination. We’ve seen every major Holocaust preceded by these very steps when it comes to private ownership of firearms. Teddy Nappen 34:09 Yeah, and cut to any of the European countries that have just disarmed themselves. Cut to the United Kingdom, with their rapes going from 12,000 a year to 70,000 a year. Page – 10 – of 11 Evan Nappen 34:20 I mean, there’s a reason we did lend lease, and reason why they put ads in the American riflemen to please send guns to England. They even disarm themselves in the face of having to face a Nazi terror. And here, they don’t learn. They don’t learn from their prior mistakes. They continuously repeat them. Evan Nappen 34:40 Well, when they were good and ready, they were done with Winston Churchill, and they said, oh, we don’t need you anymore. That’s how it always goes. And then when things come around, they’re going to need a Churchill. And maybe, just maybe, they might learn their lesson this time. But for now, the Left, gun control will forever be the losing argument on the Left. That is a fact. They will occasionally jump out whenever there’s a mass shooting, but in this point in time, that issue is effectively won on our side. We have to be vigilant, though. Because they always try to sneak things in and go off the, unfortunately, the emotional side of our country, who just do not think logically and actually apply and try to think, oh, what would happen if we take away all these firearms? Is this actually going to solve the problem? Evan Nappen 35:37 Well, in Iran, it’s a shame that people aren’t armed, because they’d be able to take action now, especially with the efforts that the U.S. has already done to their infrastructure, militarily and politically. Right? Teddy Nappen 35:58 I want the CIA to do the, you know, the black book, and just start dropping them, like the leaflets. The ways how to like, to make the gun out of the soup can. Evan Nappen 36:10 Right. Yeah. Teddy Nappen 36:12 Or the traps you could make where it was literally, like, what is it like us use like you make a bomb out of like piss and aspirin. Evan Nappen 36:23 Hmmm. True. Well, Teddy, I want to talk about our very important segment of GOFU. GOFU is the Gun Owner Fuck Up. And the reason we talk about this is it’s expensive lessons that others have endured, that you get to learn very reasonably. You get to learn it for free from Gun Lawyer radio. So, this week, I want to talk about, and these are actual cases that come through our office that we see all the time. This has to do with lost or stolen firearm in New Jersey. You need to know that New Jersey has a law that if your firearm is lost or stolen, okay? Lost or stolen. You must report it to local law enforcement within 36 hours. So, you have a 36 hour window to report a lost or stolen firearm. You must report it to the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality where the theft occurred. Or if there’s no local police, to the State Police. Page – 11 – of 11 Evan Nappen 37:40 Now, once you report a gun as stolen or lost, there can be further ramifications on you. And I want to talk about the ramifications if you fail to report it. Let’s keep this in mind. If you fail to report a stolen gun, it is a civil penalty of $500 for the first offense. So, it is technically not a crime. It’s not necessarily. It’s quasi criminal for failing to report the stolen firearm. It’s a civil penalty of $500 for the first offense and $1000 for subsequent offenses. So, your failure to report puts you in that category. It’s not as if there is a potential jail sentence if you fail to report. Now, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t report, necessarily, but I’m telling you what the actual penalty is. So, what happens when you report? When you report, you need to provide the make and model and serial number. Evan Nappen 38:42 But then we see ramifications from the reporting where then they may try to move, they being the Government, to take your gun licenses. Revoke your carry permit, revoke your firearms ID card, because they try to then claim that you fall under the category of Public Health, Safety, and Welfare as a danger or problem under that category. And that is it because you didn’t exercise proper care and had your gun stolen, which is, of course, how can, you know, the actions of a third party, being the thief, end up taking not just your gun but your gun rights? But New Jersey never misses an opportunity to do that. So, you need to keep in mind that even though the law requires a reporting, you may end up, from the reporting, having to have a battle over keeping your firearm license. Evan Nappen 39:38 If this happens to you, where you believe a gun is lost or stolen, the best thing to do is call an attorney right away and work through the very specific issues that may be present in your case. How it got stolen, how it gets reported as stolen, if you choose to report it as stolen. These are all issues that you want to have attorney / client confidentiality and discuss, because there can be escalation, and there can be ramifications. Then if there’s a failure to report, of course, and the gun comes up used in a crime, what are the implications from that? There’s a whole array of issues that need to be considered if you are dealing with a lost or stolen firearm. Evan Nappen 40:28 This is Evan Nappen and Teddy Nappen reminding you that gun laws don’t protect honest citizens from criminals. They protect criminals from honest citizens. Speaker 3 40:38 Gun Lawyer is a CounterThink Media production. The music used in this broadcast was managed by Cosmo Music, New York, New York. Reach us by emailing Evan@gun.lawyer. The information and opinions in this broadcast do not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state. Downloadable PDF TranscriptGun Lawyer S5 E280_Transcript About The HostEvan Nappen, Esq.Known as “America's Gun Lawyer,” Evan Nappen is above all a tireless defender of justice. Author of eight bestselling books and countless articles on firearms, knives, and weapons history and the law, a certified Firearms Instructor, and avid weapons collector and historian with a vast collection that spans almost five decades — it's no wonder he's become the trusted, go-to expert for local, industry and national media outlets. Regularly called on by radio, television and online news media for his commentary and expertise on breaking news Evan has appeared countless shows including Fox News – Judge Jeanine, CNN – Lou Dobbs, Court TV, Real Talk on WOR, It's Your Call with Lyn Doyle, Tom Gresham's Gun Talk, and Cam & Company/NRA News. As a creative arts consultant, he also lends his weapons law and historical expertise to an elite, discerning cadre of movie and television producers and directors, and novelists. He also provides expert testimony and consultations for defense attorneys across America. Email Evan Your Comments and Questions  talkback@gun.lawyer Join Evan's InnerCircleHere's your chance to join an elite group of the Savviest gun and knife owners in America.  Membership is totally FREE and Strictly CONFIDENTIAL.  Just enter your email to start receiving insider news, tips, and other valuable membership benefits.   Email (required) *First Name *Select list(s) to subscribe toInnerCircle Membership Yes, I would like to receive emails from Gun Lawyer Podcast. (You can unsubscribe anytime)Constant Contact Use. Please leave this field blank.var ajaxurl = "https://gun.lawyer/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php";

Russia gives Iran a helping hand as President Trump now demands nothing less than an unconditional surrender.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FULL STREAM### March 3: European Instability and Widening Conflict (5)1638 PERSIAHeadline: Europe Faces Energy Panic as Middle East War Intensifies(6)Summary: On the second day of the conflict, the focus shifts to Europe's lack of readiness for the resulting 50% spike in natural gas prices and rising inflation. Judy Dempsey highlights the "discombobulated" leadership within the EU and NATO as they struggle to coordinate a response. While French President Macron proposes a shared nuclear umbrella, German Chancellor Scholz meets with President Trump to seek clarity on war aims. Domestically, US polls indicate a lack of public support for the war, with only 27% of voters favoring the intervention. The Afghanistan-Pakistanconflict remains intense as Pakistan targets abandoned US equipment and militant camps. In Iraq, Iranian-backed militias have launched at least 16 drone attacks against US bases, though Baghdad remains relatively quiet as Iran attempts to maintain its political hooks in the Iraqi government. (7)Guest(s): Judy Dempsey (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace), Bill Roggio (Foundation for the Defense of Democracies). (8)

Members of the local congressional delegation are strongly criticizing President Trump's decision to enter into a war with Iran. Iraqi war veteran and U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman joined the show from the U.S. Capitol to discuss why he thinks the military strikes were illegal and what might be next. Plus, Rep. Vindman weighed in on Virginia redistricting as early voting gets underway.The D.C. Council passed two bills this week aimed at increasing transparency around MPD's cooperation with federal immigration agencies. At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson got behind the mic to talk about the legislation and why the bills are necessary, despite objections from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.She also discussed her efforts to raise taxes on "flushable" wipes. Henderson introduced the bill following an incident in which wipes clogged pumps used to mitigate a sewage spill in the Potomac.It may say flushable on your package, and, sure, it may get down the drain in that immediate, but we know that it is causing backups, not just in the D.C water utility system, but in folks' homes and apartment buildings," she said.The tax revenue generated by the bill would go toward sewer maintenance and repair by D.C. Water. As a potential alternative to the wipes, Henderson's bill also offers a sales tax break on bidetsArlington County is facing major budget challenges that could lead the County Board to raise taxes. Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti sat down with Kojo and Tom to discuss how the board plans to navigate a nearly $40 million budget gap, including possibly eliminating a popular youth gymnastics program and saving the county nearly $1 million.But some residents are pushing back, saying the program serves thousands of kids. Board Chair de Ferranti said the county needs to make tough budget choices."We have to be looking at all the services that might not be core services or might not be serving the most vulnerable," he said.De Ferranti said the board is considering other options for the program, like changing fees and focusing on serving kids with special needs. Plus, Board Chair de Ferranti talked about how leaders are preparing for a potential surge in federal immigration enforcement in the county.Send us questions and comments for guests: kojo@wamu.orgFollow us on Instagram: instagram.com/wamu885Follow us on Bluesky: bsky.app/wamu.org

In this episode of the Ropescast we explore the current military turning point by analyzing reports of massive Israeli "softening" strikes against Iranian regime targets along the Iraqi border, which are reportedly designed to facilitate the entry of Kurdish militias. The conversation also examines the high-stakes possibility of the US administration directly arming Kurdish forces to dismantle regime control in western Iran. Finally, we delve into the "Kurdish Dream" by looking at the realistic prospects for Kurdish self-rule and independence within the framework of a liberated, democratic Iran, as our guest Suzan Quitaz offers a nuanced look at whether these events signify the beginning of the end for the regime.Chapters: 00:00 Arming Kurdish Forces Against the Iranian Regime01:31 Kurdish Reactions to the U.S. Plan03:57 Can Kurds Trust the United States?08:42 Kurdish Life Under the Iranian Regime13:22 Kurdish Militias Preparing to Fight17:20 Kurdish Female Fighters: Their Unique Role23:21 Can Armed Protestors Win Against the Iranian Regime?

Operation Epic Fury & Roaring Lion for review:1. Concerning Iran's New Supreme Leader: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Wednesday that Israel would target whoever leads the Islamic Republic. “Any leader appointed by the Iranian terror regime to continue leading the plan to destroy Israel, threaten the US and the free world and the countries of the region, and oppress the Iranian people, will be an unequivocal target for elimination,” Katz said in a statement. “It does not matter what his name is or where he hides,” he said.2. An American submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday, the first US sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II.3. Within a week, the US and Israel “will have complete control over Iranian skies,” US War Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted on Wednesday during a press conference at the Pentagon alongside Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, exclaiming that Iran was “toast.”4. An Israeli Air Force F-35I fighter jet shot down a Russian-made Iranian Yak-130 jet over Tehran on Wednesday, the IDF said, in the first-ever downing of a manned aircraft by an F-35.5. The Israeli Air Force carried out “extensive” strikes against regime targets across Iran overnight and into Wednesday, as the Islamic Republic continued to fire salvos of ballistic missiles at Israeli population centers.6. The US and Israel, in their ongoing airstrikes throughout Iran, are targeting members of the regime's forces that took part in the crackdown on anti-government protesters earlier this year, hoping to make it easier for demonstrators to return to the streets once the bombing subsides, a US official and an Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.7. In a televised address, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Wednesday said his terror group's resumption of rocket attacks on Israel this week is a response to Israel's continued presence and airstrikes in Lebanon since the November 2024 Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal.8. Hezbollah fired on central Israel on Tuesday, the terror group's first long-range attack since the start of the Iran war, as Israeli airstrikes hammered the organization and Israel threatened Iranian officials in Lebanon.Hezbollah fired three rockets toward Tel Aviv and the Haifa area, setting off sirens across central Israel and parts of the north.9. NATO air and missile defense systems stationed in the eastern Mediterranean destroyed a ballistic missile fired from Iran as it headed into Turkish airspace after passing Syria and Iraq, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.10. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told his country's neighbors in the region that he respects their sovereignty after Iran launched a number of airstrikes at Gulf nations in recent days.11. Iranian Kurdish militias have consulted with the United States in recent days about whether, and how, to attack Iran's security forces in the western part of the country, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.The groups have requested US military support, and Iraqi leaders in Erbil and Baghdad have also been in touch with the Trump administration in recent days, they said.

Trucker T is back on the program. As a veteran of the Iraqi war he has a unique perspective on the current war in Iran. Let's get into it

Trucker T is back on the program. As a veteran of the Iraqi war he has a unique perspective on the current war in Iran. Let's get into it.

In episode 2015, Jack and Miles are joined by host of Pop Mystery Pod & Lady to Lady, Tess Barker, to discuss… How’s The Right Handling It All? They Aren’t Doing A Good Job Selling It, David Ellison Gets The Warner Bros. Toy He Wanted So Badly, Jim Carrey Sparks Clone Conspiracy Theories After Receiving French Award and more! Markwayne Mullin: "It's up to the Iraqi people -- I'm sorry, the Iranian people -- to choose their next leader" Markwayne Mullin: "He has the ability to come back and ask Congress to declare war on Iraq" Can you tell me where Iran killed thousands of Americans in America? Paramount to buy Warner Bros Discovery in US$110 billion deal as Netflix bows out of race Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros. Bidding, Paramount Set to Win Netflix says it bailed on WBD because of money, not Donald Trump ‘Horrifying’: Hollywood blasts Trump’s role in studio sale Trump allies claim victory as the Ellisons expand their media empire ‘David Ellison Scares the S— Out of Me’: How Paramount Beat Out Netflix, Won Warner Bros. and Will Change Hollywood Forever ‘Last Week Tonight With John Oliver’: Could New Merger Mean Cancellation? Leaked audio: Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav tells employees Paramount deal felt 'whiplash-y' WHAT REALLY HAPPENED to JIM CARREY: BIZARRE APPEARANCE SPARKS CLONE THEORY & CONCERN FOR HIS SAFETY César Awards Say Jim Carrey ‘Worked on His Speech in French for Months’ Amid Clone Conspiracy Theory: His ‘Visit Had Been Planned Since the Summer’ Controversy Over Jim Carrey's César Awards Appearance — Fans Insist It's Not Him Makeup artist comes forward as Jim Carrey impersonator after viral César Awards appearance Reclusive Jim Carrey Looks Unrecognizable During Rare Red Carpet Appearance — as Fans Suspect Actor Had 'Tweaks Done to His Face' LISTEN: Rollerdisco by Black Moth Super RainbowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3-2-20261971 HAHNAZ SQUARE, TEHRANHusain Haqqani critiques inconsistent US leadership and the "fog of war," expressing skepticism that air strikes alone can achieve regime change without ground troops or planning. Guest: Bill Roggio, Husain Haqqani. 1.Husain Haqqani examines Pakistan's military strikes against the Taliban in Kabul, occurring alongside the broader regional instability triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Guest: Husain Haqqani, Bill Roggio. 2.Bridget Toomey and Bill Roggio puzzle over Houthi restraint despite solidarity with Iran, questioning if capabilities are depleted or being held for strategic reasons. Guest: Bill Roggio, Bridget Toomey. 3.Bridget Toomey details Iraqi militia drone attacks and embassy protests, highlighting Iran's deep influence over Iraqisecurity forces and the potential for further regional chaos. Guest: Bill Roggio, Bridget Toomey. 4.Malcolm Hoenlein reports on the decapitation of Iran's leadership and explores potential coalition governments, including the possible return of the exiled Crown Prince. Guest: Malcolm Hoenlein. 5.Malcolm Hoenlein describes the fluid situation in Lebanon as Hezbollah reactivates, while discussing global economic adjustments and the potential for increased OPEC oil production. Guest: Malcolm Hoenlein. 6.Captain James Fanell assesses US Navy control over the Straits of Hormuz, addressing Iranian propaganda and the accidental loss of US aircraft over Kuwait. Guest: Gordon Chang, Captain James Fanell. 7.Rick Fisher warns of Chinese involvement in Iranian air defenses and the possible transfer of hypersonic missiles, which could escalate the conflict into a stalemate. Guest: Gordon Chang, Rick Fisher. 8.Jonathan Sayeh highlights the revolutionary mindset of young Iranians celebrating the Ayatollah's death, suggesting they are waiting for clear instructions to reclaim their country. Guest: Bill Roggio, Jonathan Sayeh. 9.Jonathan Sayeh details a four-to-five-week military campaign to deplete Iran's missile stockpiles and leadership, paving the way for a potential civilian-led revolutionary uprising. Guest: Bill Roggio, Jonathan Sayeh. 10.Edmond Fitton-Brown discusses Iran's retaliatory strikes on Gulf neighbors like Qatar and the UAE, noting the effectiveness of regional air defenses against Iranian drones. Guest: Bill Roggio, Edmond Fitton-Brown. 11.Experts explore the risks of regime change in Iran, citing historical failures and the country's ethnic complexities while considering the role of the exiled monarchy. Guest: Bill Roggio, Edmond Fitton-Brown. 12.John Hardie explains Russia's marginal influence in the Iran crisis, noting Putin's cautious attempt to balance ties with Trump while focusing resources on Ukraine. Guest: Bill Roggio, John Hardie. 13.Discussion focuses on how the Middle East conflict might divert US interceptor missiles from Ukraine, impacting the ongoing war of attrition against Russian forces. Guest: Bill Roggio, John Hardie. 14.Ahmad Sharawi analyzes Iran's strategy of targeting Gulf civilian infrastructure to pressure the US into de-escalation, despite regional air defenses intercepting many attacks. Guest: Bill Roggio, Ahmad Sharawi. 15.Ahmad Sharawi reports on prisoner exchanges between Damascus and the Druze, suggesting a path toward decentralized stability and minority rights in a war-torn Syria. Guest: Bill Roggio, Ahmad Sharawi. 16.

GPS jamming hits the Strait of Hormuz. An Iran linked threat actor uses AI to target Iraqi government officials. Hacktivists leak thousands of DHS contract records. A Hawaii cancer center suffers a data breach. Google patches over a hundred Android vulnerabilities. A new report tallies the scale of third party breaches. An MS-Agent AI framework flaw allows full system compromise. On today's Threat Vector segment, Evan Gordenker, Director of AI Security and DPRK Operations at Unit 42, joins David Moulton to unpack North Korea's hiring scams. Tire tech turns tattletale.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest North Korea has turned your hiring pipeline into a revenue machine. And most organizations have no idea. Evan Gordenker, Director of AI Security and DPRK Operations at Unit 42, joins David Moulton on today's Threat Vector segment to unpack how this operation actually works. Listen to their full conversation to get more detail and catch new episodes of Threat Vector every Thursday on your favorite podcast app. Selected Reading Attacks on GPS Spike Amid US and Israeli War on Iran (WIRED) Amazon: Drone strikes damaged AWS data centers in Middle East (Bleeping Computer) Iranian Cyber Threat Actor Targets Iraqi Government Officials in AI-Powered Campaign (Infosecurity Magazine) Hacktivists claim to have hacked Homeland Security to release ICE contract data (TechCrunch) UH Cancer Center data breach affects nearly 1.2 million people (Bleeping Computer) Android gets patches for Qualcomm zero-day exploited in attacks (Bleeping Computer) Chrome Gemini panel became privilege escalator for rogue extensions (The Register) Huge “Shadow Layer” of Organizations Hit by Supply Chain Attacks (Infosecurity Magazine) Vulnerability in MS-Agent AI Framework Can Allow Full System Compromise (SecurityWeek) Researchers Uncover Method to Track Cars via Tire Sensors (SecurityWeek) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An Iraqi archbishop addresses the U.S.–Iran conflict and the situation on the ground. Meanwhile, St. Peter's Basilica unveils new Stations of the Cross. And, the Supreme Court blocks a California law restricting parental notification about student gender transitions.

Bridget Toomey details Iraqi militia drone attacks and embassy protests, highlighting Iran's deep influence over Iraqisecurity forces and the potential for further regional chaos. Guest: Bill Roggio, Bridget Toomey. 4.1560

Abdul-Ahad recounts Saddam's trial, the vengeful execution, the horror of sectarian dumping grounds, and the resulting mass exodus of Iraqis fleeing the country's ongoing violence. 4.1919

In this special episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we step back from the hourly news cycle to examine the deeper historical context of the unfolding crisis between the United States and Iran.As the situation in the Middle East escalates hour by hour, with consequences nobody can yet predict, it's tempting to get drawn into "hyperpunditry"—the kind of instant analysis that offers certainty where none exists. This podcast takes a different approach. Instead, we explore the historical patterns and structural forces that have brought us to this moment.From Iraq to Iran: A Trajectory of DeclineWe begin by looking back at the planning—or lack thereof—that accompanied the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The neoconservative "Project for a New American Century," drafted in the late 1990s, identified Iran, Iraq, Syria, and North Korea as existential threats requiring regime change. But by the time of the Iraq War, the intellectual and strategic capacity that had characterised post-war occupations like Japan and Germany was conspicuously absent.The contrast is stark. Post-war Japan was rebuilt under MacArthur with a genuine understanding that creating a stable, pluralistic society required workers' rights, a modern constitution, and the removal of warmongers from power. Iraq, by contrast, was handed to Republican Party loyalists in their twenties with no relevant experience. The disbandment of the Iraqi army—against explicit US Army advice—turned hundreds of thousands of trained soldiers into armed and embittered opponents of the occupation.As Donald Rumsfeld famously said when the Iraqi National Museum was looted and its ancient treasures destroyed: "Freedom is messy."The Chancer in ChiefWhat we are witnessing now is of a category order worse—and arguably stupider. But to focus solely on Donald Trump's personal incompetence would be to miss the deeper picture. Trump is best understood as a "chancer," in some ways comparable to Hitler in the 1930s: testing boundaries, seeing what he can get away with, and becoming increasingly convinced that nobody will stop him.The assassination of Qasem Soleimani appears to have been a spontaneous decision, based on the assumption that killing one man would be enough. This fundamentally misunderstands the nature of the Islamic Republic, Iranian nationalism, and the regional dynamics of the Middle East. It also ignores the inconvenient fact that the Iran nuclear deal—which Iran was broadly complying with—was torn up by Trump himself.What Comes NextThe consequences are already unfolding. Iran has abundant missiles and cheap drones. It can, if it chooses, shut down the Persian Gulf, triggering an oil crisis worse than 1973. The long-term loser will be international nuclear non-proliferation: the lesson for any "rogue state" watching is that the North Korea model—acquire a nuclear weapon—is the only reliable protection against the United States.Meanwhile, Britain finds itself dragged into a war launched on a whim, with no independent foreign policy of its own. Since the Suez Crisis in 1956, Britain has not had an independent foreign policy. Keir Starmer's government has already agreed that America can use British air bases. It remains to be seen whether the British public, with little appetite for this conflict, will accept being drawn in.Topics covered:- The neoconservative "Project for a New American Century"- Post-war planning: Japan (1945) vs. Iraq (2003)- The disastrous disbandment of the Iraqi army- Trump as "chancer": Hitler comparisons and their limits- The assassination of Soleimani and Iranian nationalism- The wreckage of the Iran nuclear deal- Regional implications: Hezbollah, Netanyahu, and Turkey- Britain's role and the legacy of Suez- The nuclear proliferation lesson for rogue states---*If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for ad-free listening and exclusive content. Take care, and if you're in that part of the world, stay safe.*Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text MessageA map doesn't just change with borders; it changes when the rules do. We trace a straight line from the Abraham Accords through October 7, the region-wide June escalation, and the strike that removed Iran's Supreme Leader to explain why the Middle East just entered a new era. The thread is simple but profound: normalization unsettled the status quo, terror tried to reverse it, and a coalition responded by targeting not just fighters but the entire architecture behind them.We walk through how the Accords quietly re-ordered incentives for Israel and several Sunni states, making open cooperation normal and isolating Tehran's ambitions. Then we examine October 7 as a deliberate shock aimed at blowing up normalization, and how Israel's doctrine shifted from “manage the threat” to “dismantle the network.” As Hezbollah, Iraqi and Syrian militias, and Hamas moved in concert, June's escalation exposed a single grid of proxies. With U.S. backing, strikes expanded from rocket crews to commanders, infrastructure, and nuclear assets during Operation Midnight Hammer, turning a shadow war into a multi-front confrontation.The final, startling turn—the killing of the Supreme Leader—breaks an old taboo and sends a message across every capital from Riyadh to Moscow: proxy violence no longer shields the regime at the top. We reflect on how this changes deterrence, why it hardens a loose coalition of Israel, Sunni partners, and the West, and what it means for global energy, great-power opportunism, and the possibility of more accountable politics across the region. Think of the Berlin Wall falling: a single event that announces a different world and forces everyone to rewrite their playbooks.If you're ready to understand how these moments connect—and what likely comes next—tune in, share this episode with a friend who follows geopolitics, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find the show. Subscribe to stay with us as the next chapters unfold.Key Points from the Episode:• Abraham Accords as a realignment, not a photo-op• Iran isolated as Israel and Sunni states cooperate• October seventh as a bloody backlash to normalization• Israel ends contain-and-manage doctrine• June escalation exposes a single proxy grid• Operation Midnight Hammer against nuclear capability• Strike authority expands to senior leadership and infrastructure• Supreme Leader killed signals end of regime immunity• New coalition hardens against Tehran's network• Berlin Wall analogy for a new geopolitical eraBe sure to check out our show page at teammojoacademy.com, where we have everything we discussed in this podcast as well as other great resourcesOther resources: Israel's September 11thLM#38--Israel's 9-11, pt 1LM#39--Israel's 9-11, pt 2Want to leave a review? Click here, and if we earned a five-star review from you **high five and knuckle bumps**, we appreciate it greatly!

In this episode, recorded during a media briefing, Richard Pater speaks with Bridget Toomey about the Iraqi militia ecosystem under the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) umbrella and the Houthis of Yemen. Toomey assesses their military capabilities and the implications for Israel, US forces, and regional stability. The discussion also examines what Iraqi militias, and the Houthis might do in the event of a direct confrontation with Iran. Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis. Prior to joining FDD, she was a Fulbright Fellow in Israel where she completed an M.A. in security and diplomacy at Tel Aviv University.

rWotD Episode 3221: Murder of Ibrahim Oktugan Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 27 February 2026, is Murder of Ibrahim Oktugan.On 7 May 2024, Ibrahim Oktugan, a 74-year-old Principal of a private high school in Istanbul's Eyüpsultan district, was fatally shot by a former student identified as Yousif K., a 17-year-old of Iraqi origin who held Turkish citizenship. The suspect had been expelled from the school approximately five months earlier due to disciplinary issues. On the day of the attack, he returned to the school, entered Oktugan's office, and shot him five times. Oktugan was transported to hospital but died from his injuries despite emergency medical treatment.School officials stated that Oktugan had expelled the suspect following repeated behavioral problems, which were cited as the motive for the murder. Kadriye Deveci, a teacher at the school, described the student as "very problematic" in an interview with Rawin, stating that Oktugan believed that the student was "not a good example" and was frequently disrespectful toward teachers. Deveci added that the family had attempted to contest the expulsion, but school authorities ultimately decided they could no longer tolerate the student’s conduct. Following the killing, family members, colleagues, and students gathered to protested the murder, calling on authorities to take stronger measures to protect educators and address violence within the education sector.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:04 UTC on Friday, 27 February 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Murder of Ibrahim Oktugan on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Geraint.

As Saudi Arabia celebrates Founding Day, and as the murky underbelly of GCC geopolitics is on everyone's minds, we're re-releasing this classic Conflicted episode from early 2022. Thomas & Aimen discuss: The deep history of Arabia The first foundations of Saudi Arabia The transition from British to American dominance in the Middle East Aimen's family history within the British imperial system The 1920 Iraqi revolt St John Philby (Abdullah Philby) The consolidation of Saudi Arabia under Ibn Saud Oil politics and the American-Saudi partnership Cold War spy-craft and intelligence networks in Saudi Arabia Espionage culture in the region The murder of Jamal Khashoggi Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ Find us on X: https://x.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod And YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictedYoutube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Rowan Bishop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Army veterans and military analyst Jim Blackwell marks the 35th anniversary of the launch of the ground offensive in Operation Desert Storm. The ground war of Desert Storm was short, violent, and decisive. After weeks of air attacks, coalition ground forces surged into southern Iraq and Kuwait in late February 1991. U.S. Army and Marine units executed a sweeping left-hook maneuver across the desert, shattering Iraqi defensive lines, destroying Republican Guard units, and cutting off retreat routes. In just 100 hours, coalition forces liberated Kuwait, overwhelmed a large enemy army, and brought the campaign to a sudden end. For those who were there, the experience was defined by speed, dust, night movement, overwhelming firepower—and the strange, unfinished feeling that followed such a rapid victory. Jim Blackwell served during this period and has spent decades studying, writing, and thinking critically about modern warfare, the Gulf War, and what Desert Storm revealed—and concealed—about American military power. In this conversation, we'll talk not only about tactics and outcomes, but about what the ground war felt like to the people who fought it and how its legacy still shapes military thinking today. If you served in Desert Storm—especially in the ground offensive—we invite you to join us. This is a chance to listen, reflect, and add your own voice to the record. Whether you crossed the berm, supported the advance, or watched it unfold from another role, your experience matters.

Historian Faisal Husain wrote the book "Rivers of the Sultan: The Tigris and Euphrates in the Ottoman Empire" and in this episode, helps us explore the history of the Tigris and Euphrates. He argued for the necessity of understanding human history within the context of geological time, discussing the rivers' origins roughly 20 million years ago, tracing their influence on civilization from the "agricultural revolution" (which some scholars argue was a mistake leading to health issues) to the rise of early urban centers like the Sumerian cities. The conversation highlights the difference between the gentle Euphrates, which attracted early settlements, and the fast and unpredictable Tigris. Shifting to the Ottoman era, Husain examines the environmental challenges of Ottoman Iraq, which was poor in essential resources like grain, metal, and wood suited for construction, and details the extraordinary story of the Euphrates river changing its course in the late 1600s due to a poorly dug irrigation canal. He emphasizes the cultural importance of the palm tree and the vital role of water buffaloes, which made life possible for a quarter of the Iraqi population in the wetlands, whose fate would have otherwise been migration to seek resources and refuge elsewhere. 0:00 Introduction1:47 When Did the Tigris and Euphrates Start?3:04 The Importance of Deep History5:49 Geological Origins: 20 Million Years Ago7:37 When the Rivers Began to Matter to Homo Sapiens10:40 The Rationale for Writing Deep History12:00 Starting Middle East History Before 6th Century Arabia14:45 The Difference Between the Twin Rivers17:05 Why Sumerian Civilization Clustered on the Euphrates20:36 Questioning the Agricultural Revolution23:16 How Agriculture Began: Trial and Error27:00 The Consequences of Taming Nature30:40 The Ottoman Conquest of Iraq32:20 Why Iraq Was Environmentally Poor for a Major Power36:06 Iraq's Default Status Under Iranian States38:25 Baghdad in the 16th Century42:25 The Euphrates Shifts Course (Late 1600s)47:09 Water Buffaloes: The Essential Technology of the Wetlands49:28 Ranking the Most Important Crops51:03 Evliya Çelebi: The Traveler54:49 Ottoman vs. European Traveler Perspectives58:35 The Book Cover: Baghdad on the Tigris Faisal Husain is an environmental historian of the Ottoman Empire, with a geographical focus on its eastern provinces in Anatolia and Iraq and a temporal focus on the early modern period. His first book "Rivers of the Sultan" examined the role of the Tigris and Euphrates in the establishment of Ottoman state institutions in the Ottoman eastern borderland between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. His second book project is an environmental history of Ottoman frontier expansion east of the Euphrates during the sixteenth century. He is co-editing a book on the global histories of animals (under contract with Oxford University Press) with Emily Wakild (Boise State University) and Nancy Jacobs (Brown University). In 2024-2025, he served as a senior lecturer at Boğaziçi University's Department of History in Istanbul through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. He serves on several editorial boards, including those of Marmara Türkiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi (Marmara University), Global Environment (White Horse Press), and the “Middle East Environmental Histories” book series (Leiden University Press). Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna

Abigail Susik is an art historian, vice president of the International Society for the Study of Surrealism, and editor of Resurgence! Jonathan Leake, Radical Surrealism, and the Resurgence Youth Movement, 1964-1967, a compilation of publications by a surrealist sixties' anarchist group in NYC.For this Armed Love episode, we challenge ourselves to understand the political potency of the interwar avant-garde art movements (Dada, Futurism, Surrealism), their resurgence within the sixties New Left, and the potentials for avant-garde revolutionary praxis to confront political challenges today. TJ Clark works mentioned: https://archive.org/details/imageofpeoplegus0000clar_q5r5 https://archive.org/details/farewelltoideaep0000tjcl Andre Breton's surrealist manifestos: https://monoskop.org/images/2/2f/Breton_Andre_Manifestoes_of_Surrealism.pdfSI's 1957 text mentioning surrealism: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/guy-debord-report-on-the-construction-of-situationsResurgence Youth Movement's Guerilla Manifesto: https://illwill.com/guerilla-manifestoArchive of Rebel Worker journal: https://libcom.org/article/rebel-worker-journal Schizofeminism: https://www.schizofeminism.com/ Iraqi (not Iranian) artist mentioned at the end: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haifa_Zangana Abigail also recommends David Roediger and Robin DG Kelley Music: George Antheil - Ballet mècanique, part 1

A man sets his sights on strip clubs, real estate, Iraqi currency, diamonds and even mind control technology. (Original television broadcast: 2-12-2015) Want to binge watch your Greed? The latest episodes at: https://www.cnbc.com/american-greed/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.